Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-21
Senate Committee on Inter-
state Commerce Meets.
MANY PETITIONS FILED
IMPOSING PILE OF TYPEWRITER
AND PRINTED MATTER.
It is Not Believed That Any More Tes-
timony Will Be Received-Await-
ing Initiative by Leaders.

The Senate committee on interstate COM
merce met at the Capitol at 2:3o o'clock
this afternoon and began the series of ses-
sions which are likely to continue with lit
tie interruption until the meeting of Con-
gress for the purpose of agreeing, IL pos
sIble, on some form of bill for the regula-
ton of the railroads. The committee is d.
vided as to the form of Its proposed recon-
mendation, and there are several members
who are quite sure that there will not be
found majority of its members In favor
of the Presidents plan for the regulation of
rates by placing within the hands of a COM
mission the power to Tx a rate when 1t has
been determined that 1t is unreasonable
and to put 1t in force pending a Judicial
decision.
The members of the committee are SEN
ators Elkins. chairman; Cullom. Aldrich.
Kean, Dolliver, Foraker. clapp, Willard.
Tflman. McLaurin of Mississippi, Carmack,
Foster OF Louisiana and Newlands SEN
ators Elkins, Foraker, Cullom, Kean. Mil
lard. Tillman and Newlands were among
those who were In attendance on the meet
ing.
When the committee was called to order
there was no definite idea as to the method
that will be pursued to reach a conclusion.
It la not believed that the committee will
receive any more testimony, although since
its adjournment here in the late spring
there has accumulated large number of
petitions from all parts of the country,
representing individuals. companies and as
sociations, In relation to rate legislation.
A list of these petitioners submitted to
the committee this afternoon by the chair
man covered fifty large typewriter pages
the aggregate number Of the names being
about ], 400 AS stated, many OF these Pc
titions are from different associations, some
of railroad employees and shippers, and in
many instances single petitions representing
thousands of people through their associa-
ton representatives.
The petitions themselves formed a very
imposing pile of typewriter and printed
matter and il bound would make a volume
at least six inches thick. The remarkable
thing about the petitions Is the fact. as
stated by those who have examined and
classified them. that those favoring legisla-
ton comprise only about one-eighth of an
inch In the entire thickness Of the mass of
typewriter manuscript. 1t Is said that
among all these petitions received and ac-
copied for filing sinoe the committee ad-.
journed there is not a single duplicate of
the mass Of petitions that were received be-
fore adjournment.
When the committee met there was a
general feeling among the senators that
the meeting today might not result In much
more than the coming together of the MEM
bers and the usual exchanges Of good feel
Ing. They Were, In fact, looking forward
with the greatest interest to the plans for
legislation that Will be outlined by Senator
Elkins, Senator Foraker and others who
are looked upon as likely to have measures
prepared which they believe will prove to
be the solution of the discussion over the
rate legislation
There will probably be another meeting
OF the committee tomorrow and from day to
day until Congress meets. y