Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-02-02
IN THE HOUSE.
Continued from Page One.)

4 VII s'iii ti-c IutnOrlty Si'cAt III 'oSStioii
| Z to inquire into the financial condi-
=! ton and business methods of roads af-
forded the needed remedy. support
to the bill was pledged by Shackieford,
! NO. VINO united with Lamar. Fla, last
session In report on the Hearst bill.
However, ShacklefOrd will at the
proper time move to include in the
. bill CONTROL of express companies and
| jurisdiction to regulate the long and
| short haul. Contending that the COM
mission sought authority over the
! long and short haul problem, Shackle-
| ford threw in as a parenthesis Il want
to say this about the commission. 1t
! has rendered five decisions against the
| people Tor every one against the rail-
roads and when it gets increased pow
| er, | am fearful what the result will
be-
/ Sibley, Pa. took a positive position
! against the bill. declaring ut can be
truthfully said that every Socialist and
! Anarchist endorses this measure
CharactcrlzinE the new policy being in
! augurated as political rate making and
business by lawsuit" Sibley said it had
received the high official endorsement of
| Bryan and Hearst as a distinct advance
! towards government ownership Why
; should the government not also fix the
price of bread. he asked
| In Washington. he said. we are not
without striking example of government
| engaged in manufacturing and business,
| nor are We unfamiliar with the abuses
which seem TO he inseparable thcrefrom
He declared that government printing
was done at a loss in advance of what
j it could ce done for by contract; that thu
same rule obtained in shipbuildnS and
cannon construction
1T would SEEM" said StIey, I'VE have
at present in the Panama canal an OBJ
Ject lesson of sufficient magnitude to af
ford cause for deliberation.'
Seventy per cent of the estimated cost
of the Nicaragua canal had been spent.
| "And while there are no charges of fraud
or dishonesty there arc in operation in
fuenccs which lead to the charge of eX-
travagance and wlful waste. and while {
believe there has been an honest admin
istraton of affairs. the work has not
progressed; yet neither men nor angels
could have done much more with govern
mont machinery behind them"
Cleaned from conversation with mem
bers he asserted, it was the settled be-
lief that the canal must be built by pri-
waite contract.
lie granted there were abuses to be
corrected among the railroads. but asked
how men could be held to stricter ac-
countability than under the Elkins law
against rebates. Violators of that law
were criminals. and if they have not been
punished either some official has been
derelict in his sworn duty or the statutes
were not sufficiently strong.
At this point Sibley dictated measure,
which he suggested could in 10 lrcs cure
the rebate evils. lie would strike out all
after the enact;nc clause in the Hepburn
bill and insert:
THAT any corporation which shall give
a secret rate or rebate to any individual,
firm or corporation. rendering to him or
them a service on different terms or con-
ditions than rendered to any other ship
per under similar conditions constitutes
n crime; and that any official or employee
who has guilty knowledge of such prof
erence given to a shipper shall be re-
garded as a party to the crime. and that
be a fine of not less than $4,000 nor more
than 800, Geo and not less than two years
in the penitontiary nor more than 10; and
that any firm or individual firm or cor
poration, or any officer, employe, or indi-
vidual receiving such rebate or prefer.
entail. or having knowledge thereof. shall
be equally guilty and punishable by the
infection of the same penalty; ard that
one-half the fine eXacted by the govern
ment shall so to the informer."
Why, he asked, should We he swept of
our feet in line with the Socilistic clc-
ment? He asked if Pryan or Hearst
would be any less insistcnt govern
r2ent ownership. The interstate commerce.
commission. he said. had been declared in
error by the supreme court in nirc cut of
every 10 cases. The next step when dis
satisfaction with the commission results
was. he said. government ownership.
The proposed legislation. he said, was
the apple of discord thrown among the
sister states. 1.-THE one objectionable fea-
tura to me is the granting of power to
fix prices to Y political commission rath-
CT than judicial determination by cS-
tablishcd courts of law" he said, AMI
then gave notice that llc should offer an
amendment increasing the compensation
of the president Of the commission to s25-
900 and of the commissioners to sl5. 900 :,
year. with the view he said. of command
ing talent higher than that Of the politi-
clan and that the commission may rival
in dignity and compensation the supreme
bench, because exceeding it so far in pow
err.
He closed with a tribute TO Hepburn
and with the suggestion that he he made
chairman of tho interstate commerce
commission.
Hcfln, Ala, in the course Of n specch
on legislation, favored tho establishment
in Washington of separate cars or sep
arate compartments in the present cars
for negro and white passengers.
A resolution was agreed to at the in
stance of Chairman Taiwney of the ap-
preparations committee, calling on the
secretary of the treasury for informa-
ticn as to the number of permanent an
nual appropriations which have been
made during the past two years. 1t is