Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-24
NAVAL APPROPRIATIONS
Senate Adds Nearly Half Million to
House Bill

IIOdSS Itfi
BY Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-When the
senate met today Mr.. Hale, from the
committee on naval affairs, reported
the naval appropriation bill. 1t carries
800, 3S6,S7O, an increase of S422,520 over
the house biz.
The last of the testimony on the part
of Judge Swayne in the case of i'm
peachment against him was presented,
the discussion continuing from 1
o'clock to 10 p. M, with a recess of two
hours
The Panama canal bill was then
taken up but there was some difficulty
ir securing unanimous consent to pro-
eed with its consideration on account
of the pressure to secure time to con-
slider the appropriation bills.
Mr. Kittredge in charge of the cahal
bill, and other supporters of the meas
ure urged that, as 1t was an emerg-
enoy measure, it should have immedi-
ate attention, and gave assurance that
1t would be passed in five minutes.
Thinks 1t Never Will Be Built
Mr. Morgan offered an amendment
prohibiting the president from filling
vacancies in the canal commission
when congress Is not in session, and
spoke i'm favor of it, saying that there
f. no occasion for panic legislation in
connection with the canal zone" the
Spooner act and the treaty of acquisi-
ton being sufficient for that purpose.
He said he hoped the present members
of the commission would live to hold
their places until the canal should be
completed, which would insure their re-
naming for at least fifty years. Mr..
Morgan declared his belief that the
canal never would be built.
The amendment was lost and the
senate then passed the bill without
material change
Philippine Tariff Laws
The senate committee on the Philip
pines today authorized favorable re-
bort on the house bill revising and
amending the tariff laws of the Philip
pine islands The committee was in
SeSSlOIl only al SllOlL lilliCp anu llllo Weto
occupied wholly by Secretary of War
Taft, who discussed features of the
measure.
Discusses Railroad Rates
Stuyvesant Fish, president of the
Illinois Central railroad. read state
ment today before the senate commit
tee on interstate commerce which has
the railroad rate bills under consider
alton.
Discussing the Esch- Townsend bill,
he devoted considerable time TO the
subject of the practical as well as
constitutional difficulties that would be
encountered by the interstate COM
merce commission If it attempted to
arbitrarily fix railroad rates according
to the authority given it by the bill.
Presidents Suggestion of Committee
Just before Mr.. Fish concluded his
statement he told of an interesting
conference he had i'm January, 1902.
with President Roosevelt over the sub
iect of railroad legislation. Chairman
Knapp of the interstate commerce
commission was at the conference and
the president was quoted as saying
that the railroad men and the MEM
bers of the commission should get to-
gether and prepare some measure that
would meet the recognized evils of the
railroads in the conduct and manage
ment Of their business. The president
suggested that a committee of five men
should be chosen to represent the rail-
roads. and named Morton of the Atchi-
son, Topeka & Santa Fe. Hughitt Of
the Chicago & Northwestern. Cassatt
of the Pennsylvania, Spencer of the
Southern and Fish of the Illinois Cen
trail as a good committee for the rail-
roads to name. Mr.. Fish said nothing
had been done in response to the presi-
dents suggestion.
After the meeting had adjourned Mr.
Fish asked why the railroads had not
proceeded according TO the ideas Of