Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-22
PUTS IT Up TO The SENATE
President Will Make No Attempt to Prevent
Amendment of Hepburn Bill.
COMMITTEE TOLD TO SETTLE DIFFERENCES
II the Rate Measure. when Passed,
Does Not Meet with Approval of
the Executive He viii
Veto Il.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 2l.-when the sem
ate committee interstate commerce
meets on Friday to vote on rate bill the
announcement will be made authorita-
lively that President Roosevelt will not
attempt to prevent amendment of the
Hepburn bill: that he will leave the. COM
mittee free to exercise it's best judgment
and if possible compromise it's differences:
that IL a bill is reported which does not
meet his approval and in that form is
passed by congress he will content him
self to exercise his veto power. This an
nouncement will be made as the result of
a conference here today between the most
active persons supporting the house bill
without amendment. but will be delivered
to the committee by a senator who has
supported an amendment providing for ju-
dical review of an order of the Interstate
Commerce commission.
Conference at white House.
The conference at the White House is
one OF the many that have been held there
in the last week for a discussion of the
railway rate question. 1t was attended
by Senators Dolliver and Clapp Speaker
Cannon, Representative Hepburn and At
torney General Moody. They had under
consideration an amendment said to have
been drafted by Senator Knox and revised
by the attorney general. The draft i'm its
revised form, however, is said not to be
satisfactory TO its author 1t was offered
in "A spirit of compromise and the president
and attorney general wanted to know
whether it would he acceptable to the
members OF congress who are making
fight to prevent the adoption of any amend
ment which they believe would interfere
,,-gtt,
propose to enact into law.
Briefly stated. the amendment aims to
give to any complainant authority to file
a rate fixed by the commission was in fact
illegal. or that an order OF the commits
sion was in reality unlawful and author
ICES the court TO hear tho suit TO decide
whether the commission acted within its
authority and whether the constitutional
rights Of the plaintiff had been violated.
As they had previously announced they
would do. all those called into the confer
ence made firm stand for the Hepburn
bill in its present form and said that none
Of the amendments suggested seemed to
he an Improvement They said that II the
bill specified the conditions under which
complaints could he taken into court. the
court might refuse to take cogniZance of
matters not specified in the bill. They said
they preferred to leave open every feature
on which an aggrieved person might de-
sire to go into court Attorney General
Moody. it is said coptended that the Hep
burn bill is constitutional and that there
Is no danger of it's being overturned by
tho United States supreme court He would
not pass upon the wisdom of amending the
bill taking the position that that is "A
function outside of his Official province
DoIIiver and Ciapp stand Pat.
After Senators Dolliver and Clapp re-
turned TO the capitol they told certain
colleagues that they would go into the
committee on Friday and make a firm
stand to have the bill reported without
amendment. When asked concerning the
attitude of the president they said that
they believed he is satisfied with the bill
as it stands. but that it is too much to
say that he is opposed to any amendments
whatever.
The president was described by them as
ready to consider any amendment that
might be offered and willing TO listen to
any proposition up to the time the bill is
placed its final passage. They said
! that IL anything should be brought for
ward which. in the opinion of friends of
the BILL would better it and not obstruct
its operation, the president would give it
| careful study.
| Conservative members of the committee
| assert that they have the necessary votes
| to amend the Hepburn bill If they are
| left free to exercise their individual judg-
ment. so that they will not be put in the
position of opposing the presidents policy
Under these conditions. Senators Elkins
| Foraker. Crane. Keane, Aldrich, Carmack
| Foster and McLaurtn will vote for an
amendment providing for judicial review
Seven votes is a majority of the committee
| Senators Cullom and Carmack will not be
present when the committee meets on Fri
| day, but as Senator Cullom is opposed TO
! the amendment this will not affect the
result.
| An informal meeting of the committee
| will be held tomorrow, but 1t is agreed
| that no important amendments will be
considered until Friday.
! UhNnIUEP HHApEEc pAn EAITu