Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-11
THE HEPBURN RATE BILL.

Something like a dozen entirely diff
ferent bills on the railroad rate ques-
ton have been introduced into the
house OF senate. and If the friends of
each are to~be believed, each one has
received the indorsem ent of the Presi-
dent, and each is the simon-pure ad-
m1n1stratlon measure. If all this is
true President Roosevelt may be re-
garded as the boss joker of the TWEEN
tieth century, for the bills materially
Differ and in some parts are actually
antagonist1c. 1t looks now, however,
that Colonel Pete Hepburn has
stolen away the thunder of Esch and
Townsend, who were the godfathers Of
the bill that caused so much discussion
during last session. That bill had the
very earnest Endorsement of the Pres
ident, and he urged its passage in sea-
son and out of season. 1t failed in the
senate and the President renewed his
assertion that the bill must yet pass.
1t was practically reintroduced early
In this session, having been changed
only In some minor points. Now Mr..
Hepburn comes along with bill that
is said to meet all the requiem ents Of
the situation and has blown in the bot
tie administration measure" All know
Colonel Hepburn, and know that he is
not given to trifling with any matter
of public concern, ana that when he
draws bill he draws it hard and
tight, so it will accomplish the end
aimed at. This bill, it is said, meets
all such characteristics of the dis
tinguisheds Iowan, and under it, if 1t
becomes a law, there will be no Turk
ing place left where rebates can hide
"Moonshine" whisky has long ago
been driven to the mountains by the
government, and under the Hepburn
bill it is promised that midnight"
tariffs will go to keep compan with
"moonsbine" whisky The bill gives a
new definition to the word "transpor-
tation" in order that the private car
lines may be brought under the juris-
diction of the Interstate commerce
commission. Railroads, under the ball
will be required to furnish all cars, at
tend to all icing, and do all other things
necessary to put the shipment through
to it's final destination in good condi-
ton and all charges for such service
will be under control of the commits
sion. Mr. Hepburn cannot be quoted
as saying directly that his bill is to be
the administration measure, but it's pro-
visions may be regarded as meeting
the pronounced ideas of the President,
and the bill will doubtless take tie
place of the new Esch-Townscnd ID cas-
ure. Iowa was the pioneer stare in
governmental regulation of railroads,
and Mr.. Hepburn is the logical man,
being chairman OF. the committee on
interstate and foreign commerce, to
introduce the measure.
1t is probably unjust. to Mr. Hepburn
to say that he has stolen the thunder
of Esch and Townsend. The fact is
that the bill which was introduced last
session and given the names of the
two men from Wisconsin and Michf-
gan contained more of Colonel Hep
burns original bill than of the original
bills of either of the men whose names
it took. But Mr. Hepburn, rather than
not report any bill, and seeing that
neither his own nor the bill of any
other single member Of the committee
could be reported to the house, pro-
posed and carried out compromise.
Now he has laid his plans differently
and the Hepburn bill is the one thai
will attract the greatest number of
followers because it is the one that
the President favors,