Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-02-06

them by members who will vote FOR the
hill some of whom would like oppor-
tunity to amend the measure. Mr.
Gaines of Tennessee has an anti-pass
amendment which he will bring for
ward at the proper time
AT the conclusion of the day Mr.
Hepburn, i'm charge of the measure. said
II looked now as though the debate
would conclude at o'clock Wednes-
day. The reading of the bill will begin
at once and he thinks It can be con-
Guided, all proposed amendments dis
posed Of and the bill passed that day
htfore adjournment Those favoring
the bill during the day were stevens of
Minnesota. Lamar of Florida. Under
wood of Alabama. Gaines of Tennessee.
Hardwick of Georgia. Davidson of Wis
consin, Rhodes OF Missouri. Pou of
North Carolina, Weber of Ohio, and
Rives of Illinois.
Two Bills Passed
Before the railroad rate debate began
in the house today two bills were
passed. one provided for setting aside
townsites In the Flathead Indian reser-
walton in Montana; the other author
lied the further expenditure of S600O0
Tor county improvements from the sale
OF town lots in Lawton, l. r.
An hour to oppose The railroad rate
bill was yielded to Mr.. Littlefeld Of
Maine.
Littlefield believed the pictures of dis
tress on the rate question were entirely
too lurid. The proposed legislation
went too far and he should vote
against 1t. He had been willinu to go
as far as the president had recon-
mended in 1904 and 1905. Not a member
of the house. he maintained, could say
what Is reasonable rate. This was
enc of the great and tremendous diff
culties the bill presented and indicated
the vast and arbitrary power that was
to be vested in political tribunal. In
the zeal with which both political par
ties were running legislative race
they had gone far beyond the presi-
dents desires.
"a remedy for nine-tenths of the rate
evils he said. ''now exists i'm all courts
both under present law and the coming
law. Under the proposed bill. Il Curl
Gus and incongruOus condition was pro-
posed, When the committee deter
mined whether a rate was reasonable
ii was acting i'm judicial capacity.
whe it prescribed rate for the future
it would be legislating and when it adj
minstered this finding it acted in an
executive capacity. This was a COM
bination of three functions of govern
legislative and Judi
cial-in one body"
Mr.. Littlefield said the committee had
been overruled two-thirds of the time.
Mr. Stevens of Minnesota, following,
said the huge and awful things pre-
dicted were not contained in the bill
A number of senators listened TO Mr..
Littleheld's argument, including Sena-
tors Foraker, Perkins. Willard, Kean,
Bulkeley, Rayner, Piles, Scott, CALM
ger and Alec.
Developing his contention that under
the bill the commission could regulate
the differential between the long and
short haul, Mr.. Littlefeld said that he
was unwilling a political commission
should say whether or not the New
England cotton manufactures should
or should not be wiped out. He would,
he said, demonstrate from their own
record the utter incapacity of the in
terstate commerce commission to adj
minister rates.
MI Stevens of Minnesota said:
Mr.. Stevens Remarks
"The huge and awful" things which
had been depicted would not result
from the enforcement of the legislation.
The committee which considered the
bill was unanimous that it would not
work hardship.
On the other hand, there was every
by the popular demand for
relief that conditions now are not sat
isfactory. The bill, he said. was a COM
promise and was not perfect.
Mr.. eros senior of Ohio criticized the
claim that there was any popular de-
mand for the legislation. What there
was had been manufactured out whole
cloth in congress. There never had
been such a false issue launched. The
question of rebates constituted the only
legitimate complaint being made and
yet, he continued, the gentlemen who
who requested this bill have absolutely
lodged every question of the slightest
Importance to the shipper of this coun-
try"
What they had reported, he said not
one of them could tell exactly. Every
one thought 1t meant a different thing
and the whole thing was to be left to
the construction of the courts, land
yet it was born at the dawning of a
political millennium in this house. All
the angels sang together on the day
this bill was reported and sang the
same tune"
Mr.. GroSvenor said he would propose
an amendment to correct what he re-
garded as the real evil. His amendment
would prevent railroad company or Of
ticers from owning productive interests
along their lines.
The bill in operation would kill all
and the result would be
exactly the same as the effects of the
old pooling bill with uniform rates He
said the center of the country will not
suffer, but that it would be the eX-
tremties of border states. Having ex-
pressed himself on the bill Mr.. eros.
venor concluded:
And / shall aid in getting it out OF
this house as speedily as possible"
Mr. Davidson of Wisconsin advocated
the bill.
AT the close of the days debate the
fortifications bill was reported and at
5:25 the house adjourned until tomor-
row.
REPORT ON ALLEGED COMBINEI