The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-02-23
Railroad Commission.

Montgomery February 22.-(Special)-
The situation on the elective railroad
commission has become acute, and really
exciting This acuteness was brought
about by an unexpected action of the
senate. committee on privileges and cleo
tions yesterday morning, when they
without notice to the opponents of the
house bill held a meeting and agreed to
report the bill favorably.
The measure is being "rairoaded" and
there can be no doubt but that the
friends of an elective commission are be-
hind this movement, and for the day at
least they have gained vantage point.
The opponents of the measure seem
little sore, however, that they were not
given the privilege OF a hearing, when
there is at least s6O0oo,OOO of property at
stake.
To give a little history of the railroad
ing of the elective commission: 1t was
passed by the house Thursday afternoon
by vote of 81 to II. 1t was sent from
the engrossing clerk to the senate late
Friday afternoon. When it reached the
senate the presiding officer Lieutenant
Governor Cunningham, refused to refer
on the first reading in so much as the
GdpLlOn OIL the Dill contained pfdcllcaly
two subject matters, the election of a
railroad commission and giving them
thority to enforce their orders. He
would, therefore, he said exercise his
prerogative, and ask the pleasure of the
senate as to the reference of the bill. 1t
was the natural course of the bill to go
to the committee ON commerce and COM
mon carriers but the friends of the bill.
had not been asleep, and a poll of that
pon m Iinc 1aio orif fu
against the measure they began maneu-
vering to find an easy berth for their
particular pet. They found it in the
committee on privileges and elections, and
the motion of Senator Bullock to thus re-
fer it carried by a vote of II to 10.
This reference was unexpected, 1t
seems, but the opponents of the bill i'm
mediately went to Chairman Craig of the
committee and asked for a hearing. Mr..
Craig readily agreed to this and said
he did not anticipate a meeting of the
committee before Saturday, but later he
notified them that meeting would be
held Friday night. This meeting was
called, and the railroad interests were
on hand, but quorum failed to show
up and the meeting adjourned without
action. Early the next morning the
committee got together however, and
without giving anybody a hearing they
ordered a favorable report of the bill
by practically a unanimous vote, and
during the morning session Saturday it
went on the calendar after a second read
ing.
The action gave the friends of the bill
temporary advantage-and temporary ad-
vantage 1t proved to be. During the af-
ternoon session they attempted very
adroit move to gain further advantage,
but this time they failed. The matter was
brought up by an innocent appearing ut
tie resolution, that in future the regular
order of the senate should be to call the
roll of the senate in regular order and
each member be allowed to call up Dill.
The opponents of the elective commis-
sion were not asleep this time, and they
apparently very quickly foresaw the dl-
lemma into which they were about to be
lead, and they defeated the amendment,
1t requiring a three-fourths vote OF the
senate to dispense with the regular Or
der. The regular order is the taking up
of the calendar in the order in which
bills were reported. This will necessarily
prevent the calling up of the Starr-Wad-
dell commission bill for several days to
come, as the senate calendar is yet very
full.
Both sides now sparring for a van
tage point. and it is difficult to tell who
will win in the end The friends of the
bill are going to make an attempt to re-
peal the three-fourths provision in the
rules to change the order of business, and
Senator Craig has given notice that he
will, on Wednesday, introduce resolution
to this effect
But this does not end the muddle. While
the privilege and elections committee was
reporting the house bill, the committee
on commerce and common carriers were
engaged on two bills. both of which went
on the calendar yesterday. One is theHall
bill providing for a special election in
April to elect three members Of the COM
mission. This bill received a unanimous
report by the committee. The other is
the Rogers bill providing that two of the
commissioners be elected by the people
and one appointed by the governor. the
member appointed to be recommended by
the railroad interests.