Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-09
HATE BILL Is PASSED
Hepburn ysasure Goes Through House
with Flying 0OlorS
0HlY SEVEN VOTES AGAINST "
Ebese Are Cast BY Republican Members
from Eastern States.
6AlLeRIES or THE HOUSE CROWDED
large Attendance in An icipatiOn of Final
Vote on Bill
1AlLtRIss or THE HOUSE CROWDED.
URINARY Of PROVISIONS OF MEASURE
ccordins to Man who Introduces t
All but Two Points Have Been
Covered by Previous
Laws.

M WASHINGTON, Feb. s.--Just enough
business was allowed in the mousse
preceding the vote on the Hepburn railroad
4ratc blli today to permit delayed members
|to reach their seats before the roll eau
ordceed the night before began. Three hun
5 nrcd and fOrty-six members voted Tor me
4 bill Seven republicans voted against IT,
4 -ipplause greeted the announcement OF the
result by the speaker OF the house, which
s. had given its undivided attention TO rate
i making FOR several days giving its atten-
ton to other matters.
The pension appropriation bill, carrying
y s9.Ceo,oO0 for pensions and S,245,0cO for
pension administration. was taken up, de-
bated and passed without amendment The
I feature OF the bill aside from the appro-
pifaton made is II provision making statute
law OF tho famous order of the president
declaring age conclusive evidence of disa-
bility.
number of bills were paGsed at tine
close OF the day. one providing penalty OF
$500 ard ten years Imprisonment for the
premature revelation OF government infor-
nation which might have a bearing on the
market price of commodities the sams-pen-
atty being provided against government en-
ployes who speculate In commodities re-
garding which the government furnishes
statistics.
Vote on Hepburn Bill.
The house today passed the Hepburn rail-
road rate bill by a vote of 3i6 to 4. Those
voting against the bill were: Ltteheld,
Mccall, Perkins, sbley, Southwick, Vree-
land and Weeks.
Anticipating the roll call on the rate
bill there was large attendance of MEM
bers and the galleries were crowded
After the roll call the announcement OF
the passage of the bill was received with
ripple of applause.
Speaker Cannon stated the vote to be
BAG yeas and nays, Those voting against
the bill were all republicans. They were
Littlefeld (MeJ. Mccall and Weeks
(Mass.). Perkins, Southwick and vreeiand
IN. ~ and sibley Pa.).
Mr.. Sullivan CMass) voted present and
was not psireds Thers. wero twenty
members paired but these pairs were gen.
orally political ones None Of them, was
made on the bill and consequently did not
indicate opposition.
The bill according to Mr.. Hepburn S
statement In closing the debate on the
measure. was intended and did so far as
It could be made he said, comply spe-
oihcally with the recommendations OF Pres
ident Roosevelt on the rate question 1t
gives the Interstate Commerce commission
authority. when rate has been complained
OF as unreasonable" by Shipper to in
vestgate that rate. state whether or not
IL is reasonable. and if found to be un-
reasonable to name rate, which Is to be
just and reasonable and fairly remunera'
tive. which is to be the maximum rate &c
be charged. This rate so fixed is TO &c
into effect thirty days after it is an
nounced by the commission, subject dur
ing that time to be set aside suspended
by the commission or by the courts. Aftel
IL has gone into effect It is to remain tho
rate for three years. During this time
the opinion has been expressed by those WHIT
have participated in the debate, the rat'
may also be reviewed by the courts anc
IL found to be in conflict either with th'
terms OF the act or with the constitution
~ being conhscatory. 1t be set aside
~ shs courts.
Another important feature is the defini
ton OF the word railroad" and trans
portation' In a manner 10 include all auxil
iary instrumentalities of the common car
rier and to bring them within the contrO
of the commission. This power 70 nam
reasonable rate and the inclusion of tn
auxiliaries within the jurisdiction OF tn
commission are said TO be the new fea
lures. All other provisions are modihca
tions of existing law They include pub
licty OF railroad methods, which is to b
aided by prescribing a system OF book
keeping and enlarsing the commission /
seven members and increasing the sala
iies of members TO $4,000 year
Pension Bnn Passed.
The pension appropriation bill was take
up In committee OF the whole with NJ
Madden Qll) in the chair. General debat
on the bill was limited TO three hours an
Mr.. Gardner tMich) in charge of the bill
took the floor.
an presenting the pension epprOpria ito
biI Ia the house today Mr.. Gardner mich
detailed al interesting array of informs
ton concerning pensions. Forty year
after the civil war ne says, the pensio
appropriation is at it's maximum. Thel
are I,0Jc,OtG pensioners, all but 53,4z
them from that war, with an annual ro
OF SIs9,COoCOc In the 53424 are represents
veterans OF all other wars the country eve
had.
The civu war cost sSOoo0o00o. Up to Il
present time half as much again mas bee
laid out for pensions. and Mr.. Gardner pr
diets that before the end of its pensic
roll comes the first cost OF the war VI
have been eaualled. In twenty lears fro
now, he predicts. the pension roll will col
tain 5000 names, of which 1872 al Will
chargeable to the spanish-Amerlcan wa
At the present time. he says. the pensiC
roll costs the government just one-four
of all other expenses. In 1867. one ye,
after the civil war the interest on q
public debt was sils, ,7si. 5sl and the pensi,
roll so sS3 55l Now these two items a
practically reversed as TO the amount.
Mr. Gardner compared this pension N
OF tlS9ooo.OOO 10 that Of France with
annual expenditure OF s26.0O0.OOo; German
S2l.oooOoo; Austria Hungary, NGoco,OOO. Al
Great Britaip. $4,000,
As to the Spanish war veterans, he, sa
today there were more OF them on &
pension rolls than were in Skaters snti
army in Cuba
The necessity OF enacting the president
order No IS into Law as provided for