Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-24
BURNS
RA||| BILL
OUTLINE OF MEAsL REs Tt4y kT asdAA
ATTRACTED WIDE IN
TEREsT.
SAYS HE W AS HoUNDED

Iowa Congressman Declares That He
Critics Have Long Called Him 4 Cor
poratlon Congressman Despite the
Evidence Of His Record in the House
Washington, d. G., jan %. - Repre-
sentative Hepburn's bill amending the
Interstate commerce act introduced
Saturday consists Of twenty-one sec
t1ons. 1t demands that tolls collected
by common carriers snail be fair and
reasonable and that upon complaint
where such rates are not fair and reas.
enable the interstate commission shall
have power to make them so But the
roads affected may appeal from Tho
commission to a court of commerce
which shall determine the reasonable
ness and lawfulness Of rates decided
upon by the commission. In the. mat.
ter of joint rates., II the roads con-
cerned do not agree upon the appor-
tionment among themselves, the com.
mission Is authorized to make such ap-
portionment subject to the appeal to
the court of commerce.
From Commission to Court.
The commission may appeal to the
court of commerce to enforce obedi-
ence to It's orders by a writ OF In
junction or other appropriate process,
the offending party to be subject toea
penalty of $4,000 for each day Of re-
fusal or neglect which together with
the costs Of the suit shall be recover
able in an action for debt In the proper
circuit court Of the United States.
Section eight abolishes the existing
] Interstate commerce commission and
establishes new commission also to
be known as the interstate commerce
commission to be composed OF seven
members.
All laws comforting powers upon or
imposing duties upon the present com.
mission are continued except as other.
wise provided by this bill. All pend.
Ing proceedings are to be continued to
a conclusion before the new commits.
sion
To Create Court Of Commerce.
| A court of record with full jurisdic.
tion in law and equity to be called
court OF commerce is created, which ID
to consist Of five circuit judges Of the
United States no two OF whom. shall be
from the same circuit and three OF
whom shall constitute a quorum.
These Judges are to be designated On
January each year by the chief jus.
tice of the United States supreme
court
Exclusive original Jurisdiction is
conferred on the court Of commerce
in all suits and proceedings of d civil
nature in law or equity brought In the
name Of the United States or Of the
interstate commerce commission, to
enforce the provisions Of the interstate
commerce act 1t also is given all
4 power of the United States circuit
i court.
Power is given the court Of com.
merce to summon and bring before II
all parties named as defendants or re.
spondents in proceedings before 1t In
whatever part Of the United States
they may reside and subpoenas for Wit
nesses may run into any judicial dis.
trict.
The bill provides in detail for ma.
chinery and minor officers for the car
4 rying out of all Of It's provisions. The
proposed law is to take effect April |.
1905.
4 viii Press the Bill.
4 Representative w p. Hepburn Sat
urday night discussed at length
the rate measure introduced by him In
the house Saturday. Colonel Hepburn
said that he would press the bill as
earnestly as possible; that he hoped to
report 1t to the house from the commit
tee on interstate and foreign commerce
this week and that after 1t was re-s
4 ported he would endeavor to secure its
consideration. Hepburn paid his re.
spects to the critics of his course and
made it plain that the bill he had pre-,
sented had the approval of Attorney
General Moody, Of several other cahi-
net officers and of President Roose-
velt himself.
4 Il have been engaged since the be-
ginning of the session" said Colonel
Hepburn. "in trying to prepare bill
that would embody and fully meet the
suggestions made by the President In
his annual message. During this time
I have had frequent conferences with
him and several members Of his cabI.
met. While certain gentlemen In Iowa
and certain newspapers were mlsrep-
resenting me, some of them ntyt know.
ing that they were misrepresenting,
some of them knowing they were, I
4 have quietly submitted 10 their as.
saults and attended strictly to my
business in. connection with railroad
rate legislation
4 Many Difficulties.
anyone at all conversant with this
subject knows its difficulties. 1t is only