Evening journal., 1905-02-04
CONGRESS TO VOTE
ON THE RATE BILL
House Republicans Will Dis
pose Of the Bill on
Wednesday
NO AM. MOMENTS TO Be ALLOWED

washington, Feb. 4.-The RcpuDh- /
cans Of the house Of representatives in |
conference adopted as a party measure !
the bill extending rate-malxing powers |
to the interstate commerce commits !
sion, as agreed upon by the committee |
on interstate and foreign commerce
and known as the Townsend bill |
The conference instructed the house
committee on rules TO bring in a rule
providing for consideration of the
measure beginning at IL o'clock Tues
day morning next, and continuing un-
I'll 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 for
legislation on the railway rate subject.
The conference. which lasted three
hours, developed opposition 10 the
measure. The only test vote taken
was on motion TO postpone the mat
ter for a further conference next Tues
day. This was lost, "a to 107. Efforts
were made to amend the bill during
the conference, but all Of these failed.
Fault was found with the bill on the
ground that It did not include regula-
tion for the private car evil and ter
minal charges. The advocates Of the
bill contested these criticisms, claim
ing that authority was contained in
the bill to correct the complained OF
evils
The change Of the meeting from a
caucus, as the call stated, TO a CON
ference" leaves members participating
free to follow their own inclinations.
It is understood that the opposition
may organize with the purpose Of join
ing the minority in the house in the
vote on the rule prescribing the man
ner OF considering the bill in the
house. These plans, however, have not
been actually and definitely decided on.
Messrs. Mahon and Sibley, of Penn
sylvania, were conspicuous in their
opposition to any legislation at this
time, both contending that sufficient
time had not been given to the consid-
! Grafton Of the subject. Pennsylvania,
Mr.. Mahon said was the state most
affected. and he thought that the mil
lions of money involved in the pro-
posed legislation should not be ieopar-
died by hasty legislation. In addition
to his protest that sufficient time had
not been given for consideration, Mr..
| Sibley expressed the opinion that the
members of the committee which re-
ported the bill were not them
selves clear in their Interpretation Of
1t. Mr.. Wanger, also Of Pennsylvania,
took different attitude from that Of
his colleagues, and said that he would
support the proposed measure unless
he was convinced that something bet
ter could be offered.
The speech that most impressed
members was that delivered by Mr..
Payne, of New York, the majority
leader, who in answer to Mr.. Mahan's
allegations that the proposed bill
would result in confscation and great
hardship, said that the bill in its pres
ent 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 enforce
ment Of the decision of the commission
as to rates, the courts sustaining the
contention that there was no power
vested in the commission to Ak rates.
In other words, he said, the very law
now proposed was in effect for ten
years and had operated to the satis-
faction of the railroads.