Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-02-03

n. c., he had declared that authority
should be given TO name maximum"
rate, while before he had declared for
reasonable" rate After this an
nouncement, Mr.. Russell said railroad
presidents tumbled over themselves TO
get into the presidents band wagon
and rumors We're current that COM
promise had been reached and that the
white flag had been run up over tho
White House. The presidents last
message, he maintained, II followed IN
legislation. would result IN no benefit
whatever.
Mr.. Russell explained this portion IN
detail. saying 1t was just the point OF
compromise between the Republicans
and Democrats Of the committee. The
majority bin authorized the committee
TO fix maximum reasonable rate.
A maximum reasona BILE rate, he said
was a fraction under sxtortion. The
minimum reasonable rate was a shade
higher than confiscation II the presi-
dents suggestion had prevailed and the
committee had declared the maximum
reasonable rate IN given case to be
| As cents hundred when, as a matter
| OF fact, the actual minimum rate was
| 80 cents, the court could set the 40
cents rate aside on the ground that the
commission was granted authority only
to fix the maximum reasonable rate aud
! Il had not done so.
Ii was there the compromise In the
| bill came in--the commission is, under
| the terms OF the bill to fix the Just
| and reasonable maximum rate to be
| charged" This, he said, eliminates
| from possible litigation the question OF
| what the actual maximum Is, by eX-
planning that the maximum fxed is sim
| ply the maximum "to be charged, q,
| above which the roads cannot charge.
The house. at 5;l5 o'clock, adjourned
until tomorrow at II o'clock
Washington, Feb 2,--Presldent
| Roosevelt is not trying to dictate to
/ Congress what II shall do Of not do re-
| garding railroad rate or ang other
problem of legislation He has not de-
| lvered TO the senate or To- the house
any sort of an "ultImatum' on sub
| jects OF legislation, and has not held
| over the heads of Congress the threat
| of an extraordinary session II he does
not obtain the legislation for which he
| is hoping. This statement is made by
| authority; also that suggestions OF
| compromise Of any sort on rate regula-
| ton which do not embody the substance
| of the presidents message on the sub
| ject have not appealed TO the president.
| 1t can also be said that he doubtless
| would refuse to accept a compromise
| which would affect any essential fea-
ture of the proposed legislation. What
is known as the Hepburn bill now I'M
| der discussion by the house, embodes
substantially the presidents views as
set forth in his last annual message.
| In the early day Of the present session
] he thought the measure proposed by
, the Interstate commerce commission
| was the most practicable offered but
| ma gfsprn ~ saaupa1
! to him that he Hepburn bill was the
better
Members Of the senate committee on
| interstate commerce have assured the
! president that either the Hepburn bill
| or a measure resembling IT IN essential
| features will be reported TO the sem
| ate. The report OF the senate commit
| tee will not be unanimous, but II Will
| represent the Views OF a majority OF
| the membesr. The report viii be sup
| ported, II Is said, by Senators Cullom,
| Deliver and Clapp and possibly by 9th
| er Republicans and by the Democratic
| members OF the committee. II can be
| stated that while the president desires
| that such rate regulation shall be es-
| tablshed he Is firm In his attitude that
| the railroads as well as the shippers
| shall be dealt with entirely Justly. He
| wants nothing In the law that would
| affect unfairly the rights or the prop
| erty of the railroads. He Is confident
| that legislation to be framed substan-
TALLY on the lines OF the Hepburn meas
ure VIII prove fair alike to the railroads
| and TO the people. He Is now trying to
| dictate matters OF detail and Of course
win preseve an open mind as to pro-
| posed amendments which do not affect
the material and substantial features
of the bill Senators Dollver and Clapp
had another talk with the president to-
day on the rate regulation question,
following a meeting of the senate COM
mittee at which the subject was un-
der consideration.
The president Is interested deeply in
both the Philippine tariff and the state
hood measure, Concessions as to either
one Of them have not, IL Is stated been
given serious cOnsldera ton At the
White House II IS understood that an
effort Is TO be made in the senate, first,
to eliminate Arizona and New Mexico
from consideration as Joint state and,
II that should fail, secondly. TO ncor-
porate In the statehood bill provision
RELOCATING the question of joint state
hood 10 the voters of the two terri
tories. 1t Is early yet to say with any
degree OF accuracy what the result of
the latter proposition may be. SENATOR
BcNtElusc VI iNNldpd, tndlTlllul OF the
committee on territories, has assured
the president that In his judgment the
measure rs Il stands ultimately Will
be enacted into law. That would be as
the president desires, but 1t is not I'M
likely that he would sign the bill even
IL 1t were sent to him with the refer
endum provision Included,
A vigorous fight Is being made on the
Philippine bill. Just now II is not a
question Of there being merely a major
lty and minority on the measure, for
the senate particularly is divided into
several groups on the measure each
one OF which represents a different
view. Whether these divergent views
can be resolved and the measure, prac-
tically as It stands, enacted into law
or not, remains yet 70 be, determined,
Secy. Taft, vino is a staunch advocate
OF the bill, has let II be understood
that no compromise involving an in
crease Of the tariff rates on Philippine
sugar and tobacco imports over the %
per cent rate provided IN the measure
will be accepted. II his views are to OBJ
tain. He spurns the suggestion that. In
order to secure votes FOR the Hepburn
rate regulation bill. the administration
would be willing to permit the Philip