Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-12-21
MEASURE WILL BE KNOWN AZ
THE ADMINISTRATION
BILL"
BEARS PREsIDENT'sO o. X.
The Details Of the Proposed New Rate
Law Show Several Changes AS Com
pared With the One Framed and
Endorsed by the Interstate Com
merce Commission.

merce Commission.
Washington, d. c., Dec 90
(SpeciaD. Colonel Hepburn says
there will be no more hearings on
the railroad rate question before
the interstate and foreign COM
merce committee of the house. The
committee, he says; has ample
facts from which to draw it's rail-
way rate bill.
Washington, D. G., Dec. 20
The conference report on the
emergency appropriations for the
Panama canal work was adopted
by the house today Immediately
upon convening.
The following presidential nom-
nations were announced:
Postmasters-Wil r. Jewell
at Danville, ILL.,, Charles w. Warm
er at Hoopeston, Ill.,, William f.
Stahl at Lisbon, Ia, John III.
Wegersley at Alta, la. and John M.
Wormley at Kingley, Ia.
Washington, D. c., Dec. 20.-l,.
executive session of the senate
today Senator Morgan wanted the
senate to request the return Of all
nominations for the isthmian ca
nal commissioners which had
heretofore been confirmed. He as
serted that the committee on in
ter-oceanic canals had held no
meeting to act on the nomina-
tions and that the combinations
were void. The senate acceded
to the request and the nomina-
tions were reconsidered and re-
ferred to the isthmian canal COM
mittee.
Washington, d. c., Dec. Ex-senator
Dolliver OF Iowa yesterday afternoon
introduced what will be generally
known as the administration railroad
rate bill. 1t is the measure which or
1ginally was considered by the inter-
state commerce commission.
1t is based In the first place on the
old Cullom amendment, which was
killed several years ago by Senator
Elktns, with the assistance Of Aldrich
of Rhode Island, Kean of New Jersey,
and one or two other senator's particu-
larly identified with railroad interests.
This Cullen amendment was reported
adversely to the senate, because a ma
jority were against 1T and because Sen
ator Cullom, who introduced it, insist
ed that it should not be pigeonholed.
Taking the amendment as founda.
tion stone, the interstate commerce
commission went over the subject and
prepared an extensive bill That bill
as whole, was submitted to the at
torney general and the President
Since then Senator Dolliver and others,
including Senator Clapp Of Minnesota,
have taken the interstate commerce
commission bill and have applied the
pruning knife to it most successfully
All Presidents Desires Embodied.
They have cut out some sections, re
written others, and generally have
succeeded in formulating a new and
extremely comprehensive bill 1t EN-
bodies all the President has ever asked
for, but it is by no means Extensively
radical. 1t enlarges the powers of the
interstate commerce commission, bu
protects the real undisputed rights O
o. the railroads. rate made by the
commission will stand until upset b,
the courts, but provisions are made by
which either the railroads or the gov
eminent can secure a quick decision
of the court, so that shippers will no
be long in finding out what they have
to pay for their freight No new cour
is created, but the Interstate commerc,
commission is enlarged, so as to con
sist of seven members with term o
seven years each and with salaries O
500 annually.
This new railroad bill, like thu
measure which was suggested by tn,
commission, Is not an attempt to pas.
an entirely new law. The original in
terstate commerce commission law il
ample basis for all legislation. Tht
Dolliver bill is therefore merely 4;
series of amendments to the existint
law, strengthening it where it hal
been found weak, bearing it up where
the language has been shown to b,
Obscure and wiping out certain incon
gruities and Inconsistencies which
have crept into the law and it's various
am endments
Mo Power 20 Create Rates.
For instance. it has been found wis
to lay down the general principle i,
the new bill that the interstate com
merce commission is not to have ger
eral authority to create rates or t
upset existing business conditions b.
sweeping orders. The jurisdiction O
the commission is limited strictly Il
cases where regular complaint i
! filed against specific rate and cor
[ cernins q snecific road excent O