Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-16
OPINION AT CAPITOL
NOT LIKELY TO BE ANY DEFINITE
ACTION THIS SESSION.
May Lead to Joint Committee to In
vestigate the Subject-Senate
Hearing Today.

Well-posted statesmen at the Capitol
said today that while there may be con-
siderable agitation during the present ses-
sion of Congress of the subject of govern
mental review of railway rates, there IS
not likely to be conclusive action between
now and the 4th of March. 1t is quite pos
sible, however they said, that the discus
sion of the subject at this session may lead
to authorization of an inquiry by special
committee of the House and the Senate
committee on interstate commerce during
the recess.
1t was predicted with equal emphasis by
these statesmen that Congress at It's next
session will be compelled by public pressure
to deal with this question of railroad rates.
These men went on to say further that the
proposition to vest the interstate commerce
commission with increased powers in the
premises Is daily meeting with less favor,
and that if Congress does anything 1t is
more likely to be along the line of creation
OF a sem-judiciual body to review and ar
bitrate rates.
The Court Idea Not New.
Senator Elkins has not yet introduced his
bill for the creat tion of a court, and it IS
not known when he will have 1t ready.
Senator Elkins' plan is not new, as the files
of the Senate contain bill introduced jan
uary 81, 1898, embodying the Elkins idea.
AS the present agitation has it's hotbed in
Wisconsin, so did this bill come from that
state 1t was offered by Senator Sawyer
and the Interpolation of the two words by
request" shows that Senator Sawyer was
not then ready to stand sponsor for the
measure.
The bill contains eighteen sections. 1t of
course must be comprehensive to deal with
all the features of such broad question,
and 1t is pointed out that 1t would be physi-
cally impossible to consider such bill at
the short session of Congress and to secure
intelligent and wise action upon 1t.
Senate Committee Hearing.
The Quarles-C Cooper bill permitting the in
terstate commerce commission to fix rail-
road rates was the subject of hearing held
today by the Senate committee on interstate
commerce, at which Edward B. Bacon OF
Milwaukee, chairman Of the executive COM
mittee on the interstate commerce law con-
vention, held last summer in st. Louis, was
the principal speaker Mr.. Bacon said that
in view of the fact that he had appeared
before the House committee and the addi-
tional fact that the subject had been under
consideration for several years, he did not
consider a further statement necessary. At
the request of the committee he explained
the provisions of the bill and in reply to
questions gave his opinion to the opera
tions of the provisions of the bill if it should
become a law.
In response to an interrogat ton from SEN
ator Tillman. Br. Bacon said he was conf
dent that the bill represents the wishes of
the business interests in providing for sus-
pending the finding of the commission in
cases of an appeal.
Questioned by Mr.. Tillman.
Then" said Mr.. Tillman you don't
agree with the President, who recommends
that rate fixed by the commission shall
go Into immediate effect?"
In reply the witness said the President
had not gone into detail in his message,
but Mr.. Tillman replied that if he under
stood the English language he was certain
that his construction of the message is
correct.
Replying to questions by Senator Cullor
he said that the shippers would prefer the
suspension of rates for sixty days pending
an appeal, with a time limit on appeals
to giving unlimited time and allowing the
yates to go into immediate effect He said
In response to Senator EIkins that in case
1t should be ultimately decided that the
rate fixed by the commission was too low
the railroads would have no recourse OF &C.
count of the loss sustained, but he agreed
with Senator Tillman that such a condition
could be worse on the railroads than rate
that Is to high would be on the shippers.
H. r. Fuller, representing the railroad Ia
Dor organizations, made an argument
against the bill relieving narrow gauge rail-
roads from some of the requirements of
the safety appliance law.