The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-02-10

the accomplishment of the admins
tration's plans for antitrust legisla-
ton when the senate passed the So
called Elkins bill for the further reg
ulation Of interstate railroads.
The bill derives it's title from the
fact that Mr.. Elkins is the chairman
of the senate committee on inter
state commerce.; but this title is mis-
leading. Mr.. Elkins is not the real
author. This bill as passed is not
very similar to the bill which orig
inally bore that title, and which, in
the house, was known as the Wag-
ner bill. These measures were wide
ly advertised to shippers and railroad
interests and their provisions are
quite familiar to these interests. But
the Elkins bill, which has passed the
senate by unanimous consent, and
which will have it's real consideration
and discussion in the house, is the
joint product Of Senator Aldrich and
Attorney General Knox. The Rhode
Island senator was carrying out his
agreement with President Roosevelt
to secure a vote from the senate on
a bill of this character, and the at
torney general was acting in an ad-
visory capacity.
The bill as it passed the senate
is very different from the bill as it
was introduced by Senator Elkins.
In it's first state it was nothing
an empty shell-a ghost. 1t went
to a subcommittee, and under the
direction tof Messrs. Aldrich and
Hanna, amendments were made CIV
ing 1t life. The principal amendment
is that at the end Of the first Sec
ton. 1t is intended to compel the
railroads to publish tariff schedules,
and would make any departure from
such published statements "a. discrim-
ination in the eye of the law.
That, in the opinion of Mr.. Knox,
and of the interstate commerce
commissioners, will make it possible,
with the other regulations, to reach
the rebate practices and secret al
liances which have built up the Stand
ard Oil, beef and other trusts.
Amendments were also incorporated
in the bill which make a corporation
responsible for the acts and omis-
sions of it's agents, and which make
it possible to invoke a writ of %injunc-
ton in the enforcement of the regll-
lations. Altogether the bill is one
which gives the interstate
commission a large accession of real
power.
1t is understood that Mr.. Quay con
sented to the passage of this bill in
order to relieve himself and his state
hood bill of the -opprobrium which
would be heaped on both in case he
maintained his stand against the ad-
m~inistration antitrust programme,
as we'll as against other legislation.
He did this after a conference with
the president, in which the latter
took pains to make plain to the
Pennsylvania statesman just what
he regarded as essential in the way
of antitrust legislation in order to
avert an extra session.
Now, if the statehood fight results
in an extra session it will be on it's
own merits. so to speak, and in on
sequence only of the hold up of the
appropriation bills. ..
So far as the senate is concern
ed, the president is in the way to
ecure the two salient features of his
antitrust programme; namely, a pub
licity bureau and the beginnings of
more effective regulation of the rail
roads. As will be remembered, the
publicity bureau is in the hands of
the senate. and house, being a part
of the department of commerce bill;
and now the bill for the more effect
i've regulation of the railroads has
gone to the house, where the strong
party organization can, if it wants
to, press it to a legislative .conclu-
sion.
1t is announced by the house au-
thorities that the Littlefield bill will
soon be brought forward under a spe-
cial rule. While this is true, the
Littleield bill is not likely to be-
come a law.
The first four sections of that bill
ire practically nullified by the pub
licity amendment of the department
of commerce bill, which is now in
n0nforonoo