Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-03
CROMWELL AND
MORGAN CLASH
SENATE TAKES UP TIME TALK
ING OVER RAILROAD BILL
Opposition in the House by Mann and
! ShackIeford Prevents a Large
Number of Measures From
Being Considered
BY Associated Press.

WASHINGTON, March 1.-The SEN
ate today passed the bill providing for
the settlement of the affairs of the five
civilized tribes.
Under the guise of considering the
bill the senate spent practically the
entire day in discussing the railroad
question. The subject was raised by
Mr.. La Foliette's proposed amendment
to the Indian bill prohibiting railroad
companies and their stockholders
from acquiring the coal lands in In
dian territory. Mr.. Newands charged
that the great corporations practically
control all the coal lands in Pennsyl-
vana and West Virginia and said they
were rapidly extending their operations
in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and
other states and territories.
Mr.. Teller took exception to some OF
his statements, declaring that there
was no monopoly of the west to con-
troll their own resources. He criticised
the too great extension of the forest
reservation system and said it was
done in pursuance of 1.-The insane no
tion that government must hold the
lands for the unborn"
Railroads Own Coal Fields
He laid especial stress upon the ne
cessity of prohibiting railroad stock
holders from acquiring the lands, and
in support of his contention referred
to the fact that through their officers
the railroads of Pennsylvania own
ninety-eight per cent of the anthra-
cite coal in that state.
He declared that they had driven
independent operators and independent
owners out of business, thus rendering
all the people who use anthracite de-
pendent upon the eight or nine corpor-
ations for their fuel. He declared that
the people must be able to assert their
sovereign authority over the trans
portation lines and that they must be
so controlled as to protect the general
public.
1t had been said that if the railroad
companies want the coal lands they
will get them regardless of what con-
gress may do. He could not agree to
that doctrine.
Wants to Go on Record
at want" he said. "to put on record
the protest of one individual against
the doctrine that the railroad COM
panies can secure the mastery of the
natural products of the country so as
to interfere with their being fair and
ducts of the country. l want it put on
record that this government of the
United States is stronger than any of
it's creatures; stronger than the rail-
roads in the aggregate and all the CEN
tralized power of the corporations re-
presented by unlawful corporations
and trusts. 1 would write it in the
statutes that the railroad companies
must be common carriers and nothing
else, and write it so as to make it ef-
fective."
Mr.. CIapp Replies
Mr. Clapp said in reply to Mr.. La
Toilette that the Indian committee had
hesitated to accept the amendment
because it dealt with the regulation of
the railroads, which is provided for in
another bill before the senate.
Mr.. Stone announced his concurrence
in the views of Mr.. Clapp but eX-
pressed the opinion that there should
not only be no present sale of the coal
lands but further leases also should be
prohibited.
Mr.. Teller doubted the right of con-
gress to say that railroad stockholders
shall not become owners of coal lands
He believed in restricting the railroads
but would proceed in an orderly and
legal way and not in a way that would
create greater evils than it would elm
mate,