The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-02-09
HOUSE PASSES
RAILROAD BILL
Only Seven Votes We're Cast
Against the Hepburn Rate
Measure.
ALL DISSENTING
ARE REPUBLICANS
Bill Complies With the Recon-
mendatiOns of President
Roosevelt.

w IoNs fCD, o.-Inc HOUSE
today passed the Hepburn railroad rnte
bill by a vote of 346 to T. Those voting
against the bill were: Littleneld. Nc
Call, Perkins. Sibley. Southwick. Yree-
land and Weeks.
Before voting on the railroad rate bill
the army appropriation bill was report
ed to the House by Mr.. Hull of Iowa,
Anticipating the rollcall upon the rate
bill there was n large attendance OF
members and the galleries were crowd
ed. After the rollcall the announce
ment OF the passage OF the bill was
received with g. ripple of applause.
Republicans in Opposition.
Speaker Cannon stated the vote to be
346 yeas and 7 nays. Those voting
against the bill were Republicans. They
were Littleleld Maine; Mccall. Weeks.
Massachusetts: Perkins. Southwick and
Vreeland. New York. and Sibley. Penn
sylvania
Mr. Sullivan of Massachusetts voted
present and was not paired.
There were twenty-eisht members
paired but these pairs We're generally
political ones. None OF them was made
upon the bill and consequently did not
indicate opposition.
What the Bill Is.
The following is a summary of the
Hepburn railroad rate bill, on which
the House voted today
The bill, according to Mr. Hepburn's
statement In closing the debate on the
measure. was intended. and did. SO far
as It could be made, he said comply
specifically with the recommendations
OF President Roosevelt on the rate ques-
ton, II gives the Interstate Commerce
commission authority. when a rate has
been complained OF as "unrea asonable"
49, all
state whether or not II is unreasonable.
and II found to be unreasonable to
name rate which is to be just and rea-
sonable and k1irly remuncratlTe, which
is 10 be the maximum rate to be
charged.
Fixes Rate Three Years.
This rate 80 fixed is to go into effect
thirty days after IL is announced by
the commission, subject during that
time 10 be set aside or suspended by the
commission or by the courts. After it
has gone into effect 1t Is to remain tho
rate for three years. During this time
the opinion has been expressed by those
who have participated in the debate
the rate may also be reviewed by the
courts and II found to be In conflict
either with the terms of the act or with
the Constitution. by being conflScatoTy.
can be set aside by the courts.
Salaries Of Commissioners.
Another important feature is the def
milton of the words railroad" and
transportation" in q manner to In
clude all auxiliary instrumentalities OF
the common carrier and to bring them
within the control OF the commission.
This power to name @ reasonable rate
and the inclusion OF the auxiliaries
within the jurisdiction of the commits
sion Are said TO be the new features,
All other provisions are notifications OF
existing law They include publicity of
railroad methods, which is TO be aided
by prescribing d system of bookkeeping
and enlarging the commission to seven
members and increasing salaries OF
members TO $4,000 year
One Million Pensioners.
In presenting the pension appropriation
bill TO the House today, Mr.. Gardiner
tMlchD, In charge of the measure. de-
tailed an interesting array of Information
concerning pensions. Forty years after
the Civil war. he says. the pension appro-
priatlon Is at its maximum. There are
one million pensioners, all but 5352i of
them from thet war, with an annual roll
OF sl3s, 100000. In the 5352+ are represented
veterans OF all other wars the country
ever had.
Civil War Cost.
The Civil war cost six billion dollars
Up to the present time half much
Mr., Gardiner predicts that before the end
OF Its pension rolls comes, the first cost
OF the war Will have been coualled. In
twenty years from now. he predicts, the
pension rolls viii contain half O million
names OF which l32. 4l4 Will be Chargeablc
to tho Spanish American war. At the
present time. ne says, the pension roll
costs the Government just one-fourth Of
all othor expenses.
The Public Debt
T. onn ,,oor tb, Ci,-u
the interest on the public debt was sl+5.-
Isl SCI and the pension roll $50. 923, 65l Now
these two items are practically reversed
as TO the amount.
Mr. Gardiner compared this pension roll
of S139 600 600 to that of France. with an
annual expenditure OF $4,000 600; Germany.
s2l OC0 600: Austria-Hungary. sl0,00o0o. and
Great Britain, 9-OCoOO
Numerous Spanish War Veterans.
AS to Spanish war veterans, he said to-
day there were more OF them on the pen
sion rolls than were In Skaters entire
The necessity OF cnactlng the Presidents
order No IS into law as provided for In
rho hin was explained by Mr.. Gardiner.
This order was intended to work auto
maticallv and 10 make age the only proof
Of disability. Commissioner Warner found
The order in conflict with statute provis
ions and it was thereby robbed of its
operation.
Surgeons Fees.
Bv eliminating surgeons fees Mr..
Gardiner estimated that by enactng the
order into law money would be saved the
and benefit be extended TO
the veterans. The order he regarded
time II would place every soldier OF the
Civil war on the pension roll at q maxi.
mum pension OF SO a month.
The House passed the pension appro-
priation carrying s139 COO 900 for pensions
and 81 2i5.o0O for administration, after
OF three hours.