Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-02-10
The Department of Commerce
Bill Passes the House
by Isl to 10.
CREATES HEATED DISCUSSION
Ball. of Texas. Ridicuies Bill.
Calling 1t a Pretext and
Subterfu1e.
MORE VENEZUELAN MATTERS

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10-In order
that the administration antitrust
program of legislation may be render
ed entirely symmetric, 1t is known that
President Roosevelt desires that what
is called the Elkins rebate bill shall
be enacted into law. That measure
was pushed by the senate last week,
and is pending now before the inter-
state and foreign commerce emit
tee of the house, of which Repre-
sentative Hepborn OF Iowa is chair
man. During several days the president
has been comforting, as opportunity at
forded, with prominent members of
the house about the rebate bill, and
the subject was considered last night
at a conference at the white house be-
tween President Roosevelt and several
leaders of the house. The president
has also had a conference with Speak
er Henderson concerning the bill. II
is understood that while the speaker
is not wholly in sympathy with the
measure. he will not stand in the way
of its consideration by the house In.
deed. il can be stated upon excellent
authority that the speaker and the
committee on rules. Of which he is
ex-officio head. will authorize if neces-
sary. special rule providing for the
consideration of the bill after it has
been reported by Mr. Hepburn's COM
mittee. Such action. it is asserted,
would practically mean the passage Of
the measure by the house and it's en-
actment into law.
In the discussion OF the Department
of Commerce bill in the house to-
day, Richardson. of Alabama, explain
cd xrh ba ~ hn Mol.
son amendment covering the bureau
of corporations He did not believe
the amendment was aimed at trusts
but was a .'pretext and subterfuge." !"
Mr.. Ball of Texas. who followed Mr..
Richardson ridiculed the program of
the administration regarding anti
trust legislation. The administra-
ton. he said was represented as anx-
ious to secure the passage of the
Nelson and Elkins bill and it was
pretended that the Standard Oil Co..
was sending kilograms to prominent
senators against their passage. He
did not believe it. 81 do not believe"
said he. that j. ID. Rockefeller. or
any other trust magnate. has raised
n protest against the homeopathic
doses in those bills. They are no
more harmful to trusts than would
be Mrs Winslow's soothing syrup"
The house committee on interstate
and foreign commerce, today agreed
to favorably report the ElSins anti
rebate bill with certain amendments.
The conference reports on the de-
partment of commerce bill were
adopted by 251 to 10 in the house.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1O-At the
opening of the session of the house to-
day. Mr.. Steele. of Indiana, called at
,ention to the speech of Mr. Conroy.
OF Massachusetts, printed in the rec
ord this morning. under the general
leave to print granted on the anti
trust dill The speech dealt with
the subject of Mr.. Conroy's contested
election case in Massachusetts and MIR
Steele claimed that it was violation
of the order which confined remarks
to be printed to the subject of anti
trust bills. He asked that the speech
be stricken from the record. AS Mr..
Conroy was absent at the request of
his friends. the matter went over
Sunday, February %. was set aside
for paying tribute to the memory of
the late Representative Tongue of Or
egon. Eulogies upon the life and
public services of the late Represen-
tative Rumple, of Iowa, were also or