The San Francisco call., 1904-12-14
CONGRESS
TO CREATE
NEW COURT
President Gives the
Plan His Sup
port.
Tribunal to Have Charge Of
All Interstate Com
m9rCe Cases.
Proposed Measure Greatly Enlarges
the Powers of the Present
Commission.
Special Dispatch to Tn. Call.


CALL BUREAU. HOTEL BARTON.
WASHINGTON. Dec 13-President
Roosevelt has agreed to accept rail-
road rate legislation in the form of a
court of interstate commerce. Har-
mony between the White House and
Senate leaders has been established
and efforts have already been begun
to accomplish something at the pres
ent session of Congress. Whether the
bill can be finally passed is still prob
lematical. The President, his cabinet,
and legislators interested in the ques-
tion find it so large and far reaching
that nothing can be done in a hurry,
but the desire Of the administration is
TO have the question settled on a per-
manent basis at the earliest possible
moment This means the next session,
if not the present ont.
The Call is able to present the text
of the bill which will be used as basis
of legislation. 1t will be the frame
work of the discussion and conferences
at the White House and in the SEN
ate and is now in the hands of Attor-
ney General Moody for consideration
and perfection.
I
terstate commerce in each of the nine
judicial circuits of the United States
now existing and a circuit court OF in
terstate commerce appeals, with pro-
vision for final review by the Supreme
Court of the United States. The Judges
of these interstate courts are to be ap-
pointed for life and from both politi-
cal parties, thus establishing a non
partisan bench.
ADDS TO COMMISSIONS POWER.
1t also is in contemplation, but not
yet embodied in the bill, to give MEM
DeFs OF the interstate commerce COM
mission certain powers of United States
| district attorneys, that they may bring
suits
President Roosevelt had conference
to-day with Attorney General Moody
and Senator Spooner and expressed his
Willingness to listen to the lawers of
the administration and the Senate. At
torney General Moody is a firm advo-
cate of the circuit court of Interstate
! commerce idea and so is Secretary
Morton Morton is to be retained in
the cabinet largely for the purpose Of
assisting and advising the administra-
ton in the matter of railroad legisla-
ton.
Another important advocate of the
circuit court Of interstate commerce is
Judge Grosscup of Chicago, who sat
In the beef trust case and whose views
have been made known to the Presi-
dent. Senator Elkins, chairman of the
interstate commerce committee of the
Senate, is advocating such a court and
has recently been in conference with
Judge Grosscup, whose assistance in
framing the projected legislation was
requested.
SENATE DISPLAYS INTEREST.
Since it became known that the
President would not insist upon legis-
lation giving the interstate commerce
commission power to revise and estab-
lish railroad rates and would accept an
interstate commerce court there has
been a decided change Of tactics in the
Senate. Senator Eikins has called a
meeting of the interstate commerce
commission for next Friday, when the
question will at once be taken up.
The proposed bill is almost word for
word the measure drawn up by Rich
ard Olney, former attorney general
and introduced by Senator SAWYER of
Wisconsin, in January, 1893. The origi-
nal bill had a section which repealed
the act establishing the interstate
commerce commission, but this is not
! contemplated now. On the contrary
this commission is to be given some
additional power, but not to the ex-
tent of revising or establishing rates.