Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-04
SET FOR NEXT TUESDAY.
Railway Rate Legislation to Be Taken
Up by the House.

The republicans of the House OF Repre-
sentatives in conference yesterday after
noon adopted as party measure the bill
extending rate-making powers to the
interstate commerce commission as
agreed upon by the committee on inter-
state and foreign commerce, and known
as the Townsend-Esch bill. The confer
ence instructed the House committee on
rules to bring in rule providing Ior con.
sideratiOn of the measure beginning at IL
o'clock Tuesday morning next and con-
tinuing until o'clock Wednesday. when
a vote shall be taken. No amendments
will be allowed to the BILL although the
first vote is to be taken on the DaVey
bill, as the democratic substitute TOT
legislation on the railway rate subject.
The conference. which lasted three
bours developed opposition to the meas
ure The only test vote taken was on a
motion to postpone the matter Tor
further conference next 1ueSoay. IhIS
was lost A to 101. Efforts were made to
amend the bill during the conference, but
all of these failed. Objection to the Dill
was urged on the ground that it did not
include regulation for the private car eFii
and terminal charges.
The change of the meeting from cau-
GUS as the call stated, to a conference
leaves members participating free to fol-
low their own inclinations. 1t is UNDER
stood that the opposition may organize
with the purpose of joining the minority
in the House in the vote on the rule pre-
scribing the manner OF considering the
bill In the House. These plans, however,
have not been actually and definitely de-
cided on.
Messrs. Mahon and Sibley of Pennsyl-
vania were conspicuous in their opposl-
ton to any legislation at this time, both
contending that sufficient time had not
been given to the consideration OF the
subject. Pennsylvania, Mr.. Mahon SAID,
was the state most affected, and lie
thought that the millions of money in
volved in the proposed legislation should
not be jeopardiZed by haSty legislation.
In addition to his protest that sufficient
time had not been given for consldera-
ton Mr. Sibley expressed the opinion
that the members of the committee which
reported the bill were not themselves
clear in their Interpretation of it. Mr..
Wanger also of Pennsylvania, took diff
ferent attitude from that OF his col
leagues and said that he would support
the proposed measure unless he was con-
WINGED that something better could be OIL
fered.
At this juncture Speaker Cannon adj
vised his associates that If action was to
be taken at all it must be done now. He
suggested that a recess might be taken
until evening, in order that the members
might further consider the question. The q.
sentiment of the members present, how
ever was so overwhelmingly in favor of
immediate action that the Speaker did
not press his suggestion.
Mr. Payne of New York, the majority
leader in answer to Mr.. Mahons allega-
lions that the proposed bill would result
in confiscation and great hardship, said
that the bill in its present shape did not
provide for anything more than what was
In the original interstate commerce act
and which had stood for ten years. at the
end of which time the railroads raised
the question of the legality of the en-
forcement of the decisions of the COM
mission as to rates. the courts sustaining
the contention that there was no power
vested in the commission to fix rates.