Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-16
T|LLMAN REVIEWS
RATE QUESTION
DECLARES THE BILL SHOULD
BE AMENDED
Warns Those Who Are Responsible
for Delay-Says Measure From
House Is Loosely Worded
and Dangerous
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated FTeSo-
WASHINGTON, March 15.-The SEN
ate today continued consideration or
the railroad rate question by listening
to the reading of report on that
measure by Mr.. Tillman. Mr.. Till
mans report was read at the request
of Mr.. Aldrich who said he was curl
Gus to hear the opinion of the South
Carolina senator.
Senator Tillman's report embodied
the first clear and concise statement
of the differences concerning court
review features and other proposed
amendments that have made unani-
nous report of the committee impos-
sible. Without hesitancy the senator
declared 1t to be his belief that the
bill should be amended, but that the
amendments should not be Of char
acter to impair or prevent the accom-
plishment of the objects OF the legiS-
lation which are set forth best, he
says, in the presidents message to
congress. He emphasized the need OF
regarding the measure as non-paru-
san, but predicted that the issue Gre
ated will be paramount in the next
presidential election. AS to the effect,
he said:
"Those who are responsible for delay
or inadequate legislation will find that
when at last the floodgates of popular
wrath and indignation are hoisted
there will be some fine grinding done.
Mr.. Tillman prefaced his report by
speaking of the peculiar circumstances
ruling the committees action on the
house bill, which made 1t an embar-
RAISING task to submit.
Supporters Not in Harmony
1.-THE lack of harmony he said,
"among the supporters of the bill-it
would be speaking with more accuracy
to say the supporters of the policy in
volved in the hill-brings about the
anomalous situation in which a MEM
Der of the minority party is put In
charge of the proposed legislation
which is generally regarded through
out the country as the cherished
scheme of the president, with whose
general policy and principles that
member is not in accord. At the same
time the bill is designed to carry into
effect his own long-cherished convic-
tons and thrice reiterated demands of
the party to which he belongs"
Emphasizing the claim that this
condition is without precedent in leg
islative history, Mr.. Tillman says 1T
brings into prominence the fact that
the proposed legislation is non-parti-
san, and for this reason he urged that
democrats anu htpuDllCdiS 1llhc
should bend all their energies and lend
all that is best in them to perfecting
and passing so important a piece of
legislation.
He declared that "woe will be the
harvest" of any member of the senate
or house whose work in formulating a
bill to regulate railroads lacks earnest
ness or honesty of purpose, and who
shall seek to belittle the question or
1-.II Ii
ton. The bill as it came from the
house Mr.. Tillman characterized as
loosely worded, and capable of differ
ent interpretations.
After enumerating the essential
changes from the existing laws regu-
lating interstate commerce. he stated
that the most important is found in
section Is, in which power is sought to
be vested in the interstate commerce
commission after full hearing upon
a complaint made to determine and
prescribe what in its judgment will
be just and reasonable and fairly re-
munerative rates, to be hereafter OBJ
served in such cases as the maximum
to be charged and to make an order
that the same shall go into effect and
remain in force for three years, which
order shall go into effect thirty days
after notice to the carrier, and shall
be in force and be observed by the
carrier unless the same shall be sus-
pended or modified or set aside by the
commission, or be suspended or set
aside by a court of competent juris-
diction."
Court Jurisdiction
Concerning this section Mr.. Tillman
said:
Around the first provision the most
earnest and exciting contention has
arisen, and there is a great deal of
difference of opinion as to the scope
of this clause and the executive powers
of the commission under it. There is
even greater solicitude upon the ques-
ton of judicial review"
Friends of the railroads commended"
said Mr.. Tillman, that congress can
not limit the jurisdiction of the circuit
court, while they have not the slight
est doubt that it is possible properly
to amend this bill so as to prohibit
the circuit courts from interfering
with the orders of the interstate COM
merce commission by an interlocutory
order. This question also must be de-
termined by the supreme court should
the proposed law be enacted. The
whole question at issue as to giving
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