Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-01-16
NeWIandsWouId Give
Commission More
Authority
avors F ederaI 7 axes
on Interstate
Carriers
General Miles Can
not Profit by State
Appointment

Washington, Jan. l2.-ine at
tention OF the senate was d.
vided between the statehood question
and governmental regulation OF rail-
roads Mr.. NeWlands made formal
speech on the railroad subject and al
it's close engaged in a spirited contro
versy over points involved with Sena
tors Spooner, Foraker and others.
All amendments to the statehood
bill except that relating to the liquor
traffic in Indian territory, were agreed
to.
Senator Newlands said it was time
to ignore state lines in construction,
operation and management of the rail-
roads and added that the power sought
was constitutional and involved no
contradiction of the democratic views
as to the reserved powers of state and
local self government. He held that
because OF the relations OF railroads
to interstate commerce and the juris
dlction OF congress over Interstate
commerce congress had a clear right
to exempt interstate railroads incOr
porated under national legislation from
all state or local taxation and from
the regulation of rates by such states.
He advocated increase of the authority
of the interstate commerce commits
sion so as to- authorize it to regulate
rates and said the control of railroads
now exercised by all states, in a na
tiOnal commission, would have the
very desirable effect OF destroying re,
bates. Such control, he contended,
would be advantageous to the rail
roads in that it would relieve them
from the expressions of varying condi-
tions Of popular judgment and take
them out Of politics.
THE only way to get them out OF
politics. he concluded, is to take
away their interest in politics by MAX,
ing taxes a mathematical certainty, by
providing for a fixed and just return
upon their capital and by unifying the
control of their operations in a body
of great character and dignity, sucn
as l believe the interstate commission
to be-"
Senator Spooner raised the point
that it would be impossible by federal
enactment to regulate commerce in
the states.
Limitation on Miles.
Washington, Jan. 1.-THE appoint
ment of Lieut. General Miles as in
spector general of Massachusetts over
Swallowed all other questions in the
discussion of the army appropriation
bill in the house yesterday. The de-
bate had proceeded leisurely until Mr..
Hull, in charge Of the bill, offered an
amendment providing that retired of
fcers above the grade of major should
not receive the full pay of their grade
when assigned to duty with a militia of
the several states. Several members |!
declared that the amendment was di-
rected especially at General Miles.
But Mr.. Hull insisted that he had mol
such thought in mind and argued that
the best results were obtained from
officers of lower grades. He asserted
that not until the law was passed al
lowing increased pay for officers as
signed to the militia did retired Of
ticers of the higher grades apply for
the appointments. He said it was the
increased pay and not patriotism
which prompted them and he char
acterized their conduct as unseemly.
This statement reused Bourke Cock
ran of New York, who declared it was
simply penalizing superior officers to
the advantage and profit of inferior
officers. After lively debate, the
amendment was adopted
Several members severely criticized
the army and navy expenditures and
Mr.. Prince called attention to the
large retired list, which included 236
brigadier generals, who, he said, could
not have been retired by the operation
of law, though he disclaimed any in
tention of charging any mal-adminis-
tration of the law
Would CurtaiI Cotton Production.
Mr.. Johnson of South Carolina, in
a short speech, favored an agreement
among the cotton growers to curtail
cotton production for the next year
one-half
Many Against Revision.
prominent member of the house
ways and means committee said to the
Associated Press that the poll which
leaders of the house had conducted of
the republican members on the ques-
ton of tariff revision showed that 80
per cent of the members who had been
approached were against revision. All
leaders of the house except Mr.. Payne, |
chairman of the ways and means COM
mittee, who is laid up with rheuma-