The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-27
SENATE ON HUNT !.
! FOR RATE FACTS
Will Head Summer Congressional
School for Study of Railroad
Problems.
y
SILL EXPECTED TO
PASS IN THE FALL
4 Agitation Will Be Continued with
President s Aid Until
Special Session.
BY w. w. Jermane.

BY w. w. Jermane.
/, Washington, Feb. 27.-Railroad legis-
i ation, both to the fixing of rates by
federal commission, and the regula.
/ ion Of private cars, will be taken up in
arrest when the Fifty-ninth congress
Ileets in special session, probably in Oc-
ober. The conservative men in both
buses question whether congress has
lnough information at this. time to
4 !stify it in enacting legislation along
ither of these lines. Much remains to
lie ascertained before congress can be
ertain it is in position to do Justice to
III the interests. involved, and at the
! anne time go as far as possible in the
ERECTION Of complying with the popular:
emand. The house has already passed
bill, but it is doubtful whether any
roposed would hold that the action was
receded by a sufficiently thoro in
uirv. The president himself has not
Imposed that it would be possible to
1ocure action by congress at this time.
lie said in the beginning of the agita-
ion that this would be a session Of talk,
nd the next session of action, having
tlearly in mind that the magnitude of
he question, and the Importance Of the
,"
elton come only after thoro hearings,
ind his disappointment at the failure
If the senate to pass the house bill, or
IF either house to ia Ike up the privats
lar question with view to dlsposlng OF
+, is neither SO great nor 50 spectacu-
sshr as has been represented in many
quarters.
A Summer Quest for Facts.
=
-, or hearings to last thru the most OF
uhe summer. These will be conducted,
il all probability, by a subcommittee OF
yhe committee on interstate commerce,
Snd will cover the subject matter of
The Esch- Townsend bill, and also the
jrivate car question. The subcommit-
Fae will be empowered to send for per
,ns and papers, and the voluminous tes-
aimonv which it will take will be
= rinted as congressional document.
dhe work Of this subcommittee will en-
(ble congress next fall to go at once
j to the matter, of legislation.
! In addition to this senate material,
The house committee on interstate ana
foreign commerce will have for consid-
resent session, bearing both on the
sch Townsend rate bill and the Stew
ms private car bill. House hearings
b-ill be continued until the close of the
session, and, while Insufficient, consld-
red alone, as basis for legislative &C
lion, they will admirably supplement-
The material to be gathered at the. sum-
t1er hearings Of the senate. All inter.
SITS are to be heard by the house and
he testimony is to be printed for the
Sc Of the next congress: -.
This testimony will all be at the dis
,osal of the president when he is ready
o write his message converting congress
n extra session That message will deal
Exclusively with the railroad question,
anless he should see 1T in it to discuss
ellaneous topics he will postpone until
lis regular annual message, which will
)e submitted at the opening of the reg
President Will Agitate.
During the summer also it is expected
hat the question will be agitated, and
0 this agitation the president is expect
jared addresses. State legislatures
low in session, are also following a
policy Of investigation which will help
A~Heep the subject alive; and SO, there is
70 danger that the session Of congress s1gg s
,istent than it now is for definite action
long the line Of correcting widespread
md long-continued abuses.
The next session of congress will pass
;ome kind of a railroad bill This state
men is not disputed, either by the rail
'oad men or by the shippers. With
81 'ublic attention focused on this ques
ion, and the president hammering away
I,t it, congress will not be able, even i
E,o disposed, to delay action. What thai
legislation will be, cannot at present bt
known. The general impression, how
,ver, is that it will embody the mali
features of the Esch-T TOWNSEND rate bi!
Ind the Stevens private car bill, consoli
lated in one measure, perhaps. Thu
ii "details of this consolidated bill will b.
|lvorked out in the light Of the hearing
lhbove referred to.
For congress to adjourn late in tn
mm%er 81 5nns; on thu of foarS con
Nothing accomp lished on this burnin,
Hluestion, would be almost suicidal, iron
a political point of view, and so tn
1.-THE merits Of the public demand, viii
~Ninsure some action intended to correc
Existing abuses. For this result, tn
tion, and kept it alive, will be chief
Hespo nsible. The moment he affixe
uhis signature to a railroad bill doin
usubstantial justice to the situation, h
Twill place the American public unde
eep and lasting obligations, and at tn
same time add measurably to his perms
Il nent fame.
Stevens Has Bill.
Representative Stevens of st. Pat
today introduced a rate bill which e,
lpresses his ideas regarding this grea
lquestion and meets the criticism he ha
made against the Esch-Townsend bill
1T will not be possible to do anythin
with his bill this session, but he think
it ought to be presented now, 50 it ma
be considered by the seate subcommi
tee which will have hearings during til
Ispring and early summer.
The bill covers ratemaking, the pr
vate car, the midnight rate,' icin
switching charges, etc, and in gel
eral way consolidates all the railroa
questions into one act It authorize
the interstate commerce commission I
fix rates after the plan outlined
1.-THE Esch-Townsend bill, but takes fro
ilthe commission all administrative an
rexecutive functions, lodging these in
new bureau Of the department of cor
"me1ce and labor: This bureau is all
Edisputes wherever this is possibl
Provision is made for complaints /
& the public concerning existing rat
g and the investigation of these cor