The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-01
As to Extra Session.

Doubt is thrown out just now wheth- CT there will pbe any extra session of congress next autumn. a contingency which has been regarded as highIy probable since some time before the last Congress adjourned This Is be- cause the railway magnates have high hopes that Senator Elkins and his Committee on Interstate Commerce ht their hearings, which begin April IT. VIII reach conclusions which will re- l suit In bill which will satisfy the railway interests and at the same time so reasonably meet conservative pubiic expectations that there will be no doubt of its passage by Congress at the next regular session. It has even been stated by one close to the admin istration that if such bill is prepared soon enough in advance the President VIII not call an extra session.
 |, AS pointed out by the administra- ton man. the only object the President nad Tn calling the extra session was to furnish opportunity for the full con slderation of the railway rate evil The senate evlnced no disposition whatever uurlns the recent session to take up the question. giving as excuse for in- action lack of time properly to consid, CT the subject. It was then President roosevelt let It be known that he would call an extra session in order to give the Senators ample time to handle the issue. Senator Allison has been recently quoted as saying that the ex- tra session would be called to meet October 1. This announcement. 1t now appears was premature, as it seems that whether the meeting of Congress VIII be earlier than the regular ses- sion in December will depend upon inc work and action of the Senate Inter state Commerce Committed
 So far the Committee has hardly t, 6een organized for its great task. The Committee will begin it's sitting ana hearings in Washington first and, af- ter Its work Is well under way, 1t will go somewhat about the country, taking m some Of the big railway centers in the East and Middle West, after which 1t will gravitate hack eastward and settle down for month or so at the most inviting cool place on the Allan JIG coast. It is expected that the Com- mittee will be ready to advise the ad- mintstratiOn what kind of bill may be expected from it hy September 15, and then, If the measure proposed suits MT Roosevelt, he will abandon the idea of the extra session.
 The members of the Committee arc as follows
 stephen B. Elkins of West Virginia, Chairman; shelby M. Cullom of Hi nois Nelson w, Aldrich of Rhode Is- land, John Kean of New Jersey, Jona- than P. Deliver of Iowa, Joseph B Foraker of Ohio, Moses E. Clapp of Minnesota, Joseph H. Willard of Me- braska-Republicans.
 Benjamin R. Tillman of South Caro- lima, Anselm J. McLaurin of Missssip- pi. Edward W. Carmack of Tennessee. ui PAiS EpSltI Otf lSOulSidHd ana Francis G. Newlands of Nevada-Dem- ocrats.
 Senator Aldrich has gone on a long trip to Europe. and 1t is doubtful if he will be at any of the earlier meetings of the Committee. Senator Tillman of South Carolina has been in ill-health for some months and 1t may be that he will not be well enough to join in the committee work. It seems from indications so far that most Is expect ed of Senators Elkins and Kean for the Republicans and of Carmack and New lands for the Democrats.
 In connection with the report that President Roosevelt has had in mind a reorganization of the Interstate Com merce Commission. the point is now made that the status of its members is quite different from that of the Isth- milan Canal Commissioners, as the law does not surrender to the President ab- solute control of the Interstate Com merce Commission. The law specif- cally states that the President may ap- point and remove the Panama Canal Commissioners at will. But no Inter state Commerce Commissioner can be removed except for cause. Removal may be ordered for inefficiency, mat tention to duty or malfeasance in office. So. should the President seek to dis pense with the service of any member of this commission, an effort would likely be made to require showing of cause.