The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-31
ESCH.TOWNSEND
BILL TO The FORE
Hepburn Measure Gives Way to
New One Slated to Pass
the House.
HEPBURN"A PUZZLE TO ....*
RATE BILLS FRIENDS
Aids in Framing Legislation but
Takes Name from the Bill
Presented.
BY w. w. Jermane.

BY w. w. Jermane.
Washington, Jan. 31.-Representa-
tives Esch and Townsend have finally
had their names put to the bill which
has been reported from the house inter-
state and foreign commerce committee
regarding railroad rate legislation. This
marks the elimination of situation
attention here for several days. Fri
day night, Saturday night, and again
Sunday night, Esch and Townsend had
conferences with the president at the
White House. Hepburn was in at least
two of these conferences, and it seems
what has taken place, and in fact di-
rected it. .x... ~
During the committee meeting yester-
day, which lasted seven hours the ques-
ton of a rate bill was gone over thoroly,
and Hepburn aided in every way posi-
BILE in the perfection Of the measure
which was reported to the house at 5
ported measure should not be called the
Hepburn bill, but the Esch-Townsend
bill, and that Townsend should make
the committee report to the house, This
was agreed to. --> ..- 's>~=1-s,-'.
Hepburn's Action Puzzling.
Why Hepburn has taken his name
from the measure which is to go thru
the house this session is unknown. 1t
is apparent that he is not miffed. His
action yesterday, in helping frame the
bill and make it ''water tight, - and his
previous conferences with the president,
all indicate that he feels Favorable to-
aid in carrying out the president Is
wishes. It may be, however, that he
feels he cannot afford to have his name
coupled with a measure which is not
at this time to be enacted into law. He
may want to wait until an extra session
or until some other time, when action
by both houses seems likely. This is
now discover for his withdrawal of his
name from the bill reported yesterday
Z. Like the Hepburn Bill.
The. Esch- Townsend bill as finally
agreed to in committee is so similar to
4 thessaIi ~ in its pro r !,
Visions that the average tayman would
points of difference The Hepburn bill
provides for the abolition of the present
Interstate commerce commission and the
creation Of a new commission In Its
stead. The EschTownsend bill, on the
other hand, retains the present commits
sion and adds two members, increas
ing it to commission of seven. The
president is known to have favored
the Hepburn provision, and not that OF
the Esch Townsend bill.
The Hepburn bill provides for nine
new circuit judges, five of whom are tc
constitute the proposed court of ap
peals from decisions of the interstate
commerce commission. The Esch
Townsend bill also creates a court
Of circuit Judges, and adds five new
Judges to the total number, instead oil
nine.
The two bills are almost Identical or
the point Of comforting new powers or
the interstate commerce commission
They are also almost identical as tt
what these new powers are to be.
The Hepburn bill provides for the sus
pension of orders of the Interstate
commerce commission pending appeal tt
the supreme court. The Esch- TOWNSEND
bill does not provide for such suspen
sion.
With the exceptions above noted, it il
said by members of the house commit
tee that the two bills are identical.
Stevens on the Bills.
Representative Stevens of Minnesota
member, Of the committee, who ha
been giving the closest attention to thi
proposed 10y lSldLlOu, Salu W tuC OOul
nal correspondent today:
81 think great injustice has bee
done Colonel Hepburn, chairman of tn
committee, by some of the newspaper
of the country, as we'll as by some 0
those people who are advocating rail
road legislation at this time. It is no
true that he has been standing in tn
way Of action by the committee or tn
house, or that he is in any sense antae
to ho 41e I'm
policy. On the contrary, he has bee
from start to finish doing all that b
could to perfect a satisfactory bill
and yesterday afternoon in committe
he personally led the fight against tn
democratic members who were seekin
to obstruct. Not only that, but h
made many valuable suggestions to tn
occasions, as to important changes
phraseolog y. All these suggestions wei
in the utmost good nature, and we1
accepted by the committee without
dissenting vote Colonel Hepburn 8 a.
tions in connection with this bill hav
been from every point of view con
mandatory, and I shall take occasion
say so during the debate on the fiot
Mr. Stevens is as much in the dar
as the other members of the commi
tee as to why Hepburn withdrew h
name from the bill which was reporte
yesterday, but is inclined to think
was because he knew there would /
no legislation at this time, and he dj
not want his name attached to som
thing which was sure to fail NJ
Stevens, however, has nothing fro
Hepburn sustaining this or any 9th.
explanation.
President Is Pleased
President Roosevelt informed his cal
ers this morning that he is great
pleased at the action Of the house cor
lnittee on interstate commerce in repor
ing the EschTownsend bill
He does not expect legislation at til
session, but thinks the action of tt
house in passing bill at this time wi
help insure action by both houses lat,
He makes it plain that he thinl
this is perhaps the greatest questic
low confronting the American peop]
and that he will continue to urge
en- congress until definite results are s
cured.
Senator Gamble today introduced reso
tton donating a condemned cannon to the Sou
the state who served in the Spanish wax.