The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-06
Amendment to Rate Bill Is No
Gain for the Roads.
Provision Framed at hite House
Doesn't Amount to Much.
FIGHT IN THE SENATE.
Many Win Vote for Compromise
to Please Administration.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

Washington, April 6.-Members of the
house who were the leaders in securing
the passage Of the Hepburn rate bill
have given for the first time definite ex-
preston to their views on the admins
tration amendment to the measure. If
the senate adopts the court review pro-
vision proposed by the president, the
house will concur almost unanimously
and the labor of the conference commit
tee will be light.
Representative Charles E. Townsend
Of Michigan, the uthor of the railroad
rate bill which passed the last congress,
said yesterday. You may say that the
friends Of rate legislation in the house
are willing to accept the amendment Of
fered. Why SHOULD they not be, when
it simply enacts into law the rights
which the carriers would have whether
these rights wer expressed in the sta
tute or left unexpressed?"
Representative William P. Hepburn
of Iowa and John J. Esch Of Wisconsin,
members who have been at the head
and front of rate legislation, are one
with Mr.. Townsend. In truth, these
rate legislation leaders, and the others
who have followed them, believe that
the railroads gain absolutely nothing
through the terms of the amendment
framed at the mite HOUSE, anu II Is
certainly within the range of possibili-
ties that the senator's who met the
president to put the provision into form
knew they were preparing what gave
nothing more than q mere appearance
of concession.
The fact seems to have passed from
both sight and enor of most of the
members Of the senate that the amend
ment with which the friends of a court
review provision are expected to be con-
tent is practically the provision n a
was in the Townsend bill, passed by the
Fifty-eighth congress, which was con-
sidered about as radical a measure as
could be framed-that is to say, radical
from the point of view of men interest
ed in railroad operation.
In speaking of the amendment yes
terday Representative Townsend said
that the review provision simply gave
the court the power to declare wheth-
er or not h Interstate commerce
commission was acting within its legal
authority in making an or
whether by its order it was taking
from the carrier any rights guaranteed
to him by the constitution. 1t is the
expressed opinion of Mr.. Townsend
and Of many Of his colleagues in the
house that the courts would have this
right without an amendment to tbs
bill.
The truth of this statement Of the
chief friends of rate legislation in the
! mouse Is D61IR Driven nome 10 SOME %
the senator's who conscientiously be-
lieve in a real court review provision
but who. lacking in legal acumen, ave
been lulIed into the sleep of Satisfac-
ton over the amendment simply be-
cause it apparently had in it h "ano-
dyne of compromise"
The amendment offered to the SEN
ate with White House sanction is to be
fought more bitterly than it was a
first supposed would be the case. II
/ has faEan DAVIS for the frTTp cfDnf6.
canoe of its wording to reach the sea
of the understanding of many of the
senators. Senator's SDooner and Aid
rich have realized from the first thai
they were getting a stone rather thar
a loaf of bread from the advocates OF
drastic rate legislation. Senator Ell
kins, on the other hand, seems to have
felt at first that a great concession had
been made. He finally woke UP to z
realizing sense of the true inwardnesS
of things. but the West Virgfnian is
chagrined exceedingly that at the frs
reading of the compromise" he al
lowed himself to express his satisfac-
tor unstinted1y.
There are several member Of tbs
upper house who would not have voted
for the Hepburn bill as it stands. but
who will vote for the bill with the
Roosevelt provision added. Nothine
will be gained for the cause in which
they believe, but it will enable the
senators to say that they voted for
court review, and thus they may make
it appear that they were faithful tt
what they believed to be right. and vet
they will know that they will save fol
themselves the grace of the admins
tration-
Practically the only part of the ad-
ministration's amendment to which the
ardent friends of the legislation take
the least exception is that which leaves
indefinite the time in which carriers
may make complaint. R-epresentativ
Townsend and other members Of the
house with him think the time should
be fixed definitely by the law. This
however, is an exceedingly minor mat
ter, and if it is the only thing with
which the advocates of the act as q
whole can find fault they are a happy
lot.
BLACKS RECEIVE s1s,5OO.