Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-20
A HARD TASK AHEAD
Trying to Make the Hepburn
Bill Generally Acceptable.
RATES OF RAILWAYS
HEARINGS BY HOUSE AND SEN
ATE COMMITTEES.
Proposed Extension of Power of the
Interstate Commerce Com
mission.
RATES OF RAILWAYS

winch now attaches to him. Mr.. Hepburn
is trying to get up a railway rate bill which
will satisfy President Roosevelt and which
at the same time can pass the United States
Senate
1t is easy to imagine that he is having
hard shedding. Mr.. Hepburn was one of the
leading republicans who took the ground a
while ago that it would be possible to pass
railway legislation through the House at
this session of Congress. He had sounded
his colleagues among the influential men in
the House, and most of them agreed that it
would not only be possible but advisable
for the House to yield to the popular de-
mand for railway legislation
At that time it was not thought at all
likely that bill could pass the Senate and
many republicans in the House told Mr..
Hepburn that about all that could be ex-
pected would be for the House to wash its
hands of responsibility and keep in touch
with the President by passing the bill.
Work on the Hepburn Bill.
AS the work of framing the measure went
on, however, the agitation in behalf of leg
islation assumed such proportions that
some men deemed it possible to pass bill
through both branches of Congress-if it
was mild enough. For the past week or so
efforts in this direction have been making
The Hepburn bill so called, has been slash
ed and altered, planked up and ripped out
again several times as it came. before
the several interests that are concerned
in doctoring it. The White House would
take whack at it, then the Department of
Justice would have it's innings, few SEN
ators who sit in high places would take q
shy and then the poor bill would get back
to its father in almost unrecognizable
shape. But Mr.. Hepburn is patient man
and he has p1odded along, hoping to turn
out a bill that can pass through the portals
of both houses of Congress. 1t goes with
out saying that a bill to get through The
Senate at this session must be of very
harmless character so far as its effect upon
railway interests is concerned
Deep Interest of Senators.
The Senate committee on interstate com
merce is taking deep interest in the sub
ject. There is full attendance at the fire.
quent meetings of the committee and every
senator manifests the liveliest interest in
the proceedings 1t cannot be said that any
senator any group of senators is for or
against railwayrate legislation, for nothing
has developed in committee thus far to put
senators upon record.
1t is evident, however, from the trend of
remarks made by those who sit around the
table, that the members of the committee
are deeply impressed with the necessity of
proceeding with caution and deliberaton,
and THAT they are exceedingly loath that
hasty legislation should be enacted. An
spread feeling in committee. Mr. c. F.
Staples, state commissioner of railroads i'll
Minnesota, was testifying before the COM
mlttee, and the senators present We're so
much interested in the teStimany that they
invited him to come again. Unfortunately,
ne had to leave town tonight, but modestly
suggested that he might get back in Feb
fuary, and the suggestion was hailed with
acclaim by the committee. 1t was stated
that the subject undoubtedly would still be
before the committee in February, and they
would be glad to hear from Mr. Staples
again.
Alleged Remissness.
1t might be said that one fact has been
brought out in the hearings before the Sen
ate committee, and that is the belief that
the interstate commerce commission is not
making the most of the powers with which
it already is vested. This suggestion is fire.
quently put forward in response to the de-
mand for additional powers for the commits
sion. AT today's hearing the members of
the committee elected from Mr.. Staples the
fact that there was gross case of discrim-
nation in Minnesota two years old and
clearly amenable to the existing Elkins law
against rebates. Although that law pro-
vides for summary proceedings in court. it
was developed that the briefs in the case
were only filed last December.
1t seems clear to those who attend the
open hearings of the Senate committee that
the attitude of the committee is pretty well
liberation and caution must be used in
framing the legislation, and that it must
be shown that the interstate commerce
commission is utilizing all its power before
the committee will consent to grant addi-
tional power.
House Committee Hearing.
The House committee on interstate and
foreign commerce today continued its hear
ings on the subject of government railroad
1t, ~
the Atlantic Coast Line and. the Louisville
and Nashville railroads, continued his argu--
ment in opposition to extending the power
of the interstate commerce commission to
fix rates. He discussed what the commits
sion could do under the Cooper -Quarles
bill, saying it would have legislative as
well as judicial functions.
The commission. he said, would be de-
teetive, prosecutor. attorney for the plain
tiff and the champion of the shipper.
Vice President Bonds View.
H. L. Bond, second vice president of the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, followed in
opposition to the bill authorizing the COM
mission to fix rates. He said it was a radi-
cal change of governmental principle. He
referred to the record of the commission
in the courts as twenty-five misses one
A government rate-making board was
necessarily board of theorists, whereas
railroad rates were now made by the ship
pers and carriers, with the common interest
of moving commodities SO they might enter
into the markets of the country in compe-
titiOn with the same commodities from
other sections of the country
Before the Senate Committee.
The Senate committee on interstate COM
merce today heard an argument by r. Hud-
son Burr OF the Florida railway commits
sion, who is a member of committee ap-
pointed by the National Association of
Railway Commissioners at the last meet
ing of the association held at Birmineham m
Ala, to present to Congress the necessity
ol an increase of the powers OF the inter-
state commerce commission so as to au-
tnorize IT to fix rates. He said there was
crystailised public sentiment which rep