The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-06-08
GOnferees Will Meet Again Over
the Rate Bill.
Hay Reconsider Action on Passes
and Pullman Immunity.
PROTESTS ARE Needed
Sentiment in Favor of Free Rides
for Employees Grows.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

Washington, D. c., June s.-There will |
have to be another session Of the con-
ferees over the railroad rate bill and the |
pass section win be the first thing to be
thrown out. Railroad employees who |
have become so worked up over the sit
uation that they have fairly inundated
the senate with kilograms on the sub
ject, need worry no longer.
The confefees themselves are only too
willing to make a change, and If they
did not neither house nor senate would
agree to any railroad bill which pre-
vented free transportation of employees
and Of a number of other excepted
classes.
The conferees may attempt to draw
an entirely new amendment which will
avoid the absurdities of the section
passed by the senate. but which will not
be as stringent as that adopted by the
conferees themselves. The general sen
timent however. is that the best way
out of the difficulty is to drop the pass
question entirely so far as this bill is
concerned. It was not contained in the
measure as passed by the house, and it
can be eliminated without interfering
in any way with the general purposes
of railroad rate legislation.
If it is desired to have prohibition of
passes there is one provision which is
sufficiently stringent in the existing in
terstate commerce law, and it could be
made effective with the addition OF a
line or two providing sufficient penalty
for its violation.
When the conferees were in session
and it was proposed by members on the
part of the house to adopt a stringent
measure prohibiting all passes even to
railroad employees, Senator Cullom pro-
tested vigorously. He insisted the rail-
roads should not be deprived of the
privilege of transporting their own en-
/ ployes from place to place without
charge, and he called attention to the
fact that many railroad employees were
| by nature of their business carried q
long way from their homes, which they
could not visit at the end of the week
or on holidays or during vacation times
unless they were granted free transpor-
tation over their own road and possibly
even over other lines.
He held out for q long while, but was
overruled by the other conferees, who
! finally decided to accept the position
taken by the house conferees that rail-
roads should be prohibited from issuing
passes to anybody. Even after he ten
tatively had agreed to sign the report,
Mr.. Cullom brought up the matter in
the final meeting OF the conference, but
again was outveted. From his position
I
to conference he either will insist on the
original senate amendment or else vote
to cut out the pass section entirely,
which is what the house conferees
should have insisted upon from the out
set.
When the bill is sent back to confer
ence by vote in the senate every one
of the amendments can be taken up
anew. Those amendments where the
conferees exceeded authority VIII have
to be modified. The speech of Senator
Bailey makes it clearly evident the
Democrats will bring pressure on Sen
ator Tillman to induce him to insist
that Pullman cars shall be included
under the jurisdiction of the commit
tee He voted to-make an exception OF
sleeping cars in the original conference
and yielded to the strong position taken
on this subject by the house conferees,
Col. Hepburn and Mr.. Sherman.
Since the dissatisfaction in the senate
over the action in conference It has
been developed that the two Republi-
can house conferees manifested in dis
cussfon an extraordinary regard for the
Pullman Car company. Sherman, 1t Is
said was more insistent on this sub
iect than Col. Hepburn. but both Of
them were vigorous and declared If
they Welded to the senate in regard to
express companies they would have TO
have concession about sleeping cars
From the way in which the house
conferees talked before, It seems hard
" likely they will put back the Pull
man car lines in the second conference
OF course, If the matter was brought
up in the house, an overwhelming ma
jority of the members would vote to in
clude sleeping cars without hesitation.
IS Col. Hepburn made the point repeat
edIy in conference that there had been
no public Complaint about the sleeping
car business, which is perfectly true.
There is a pronounced feeling among
members however, that it will be I'M
pleasant for them to go back to their
constituents and try to explain why
they made an exception Of the Pullman
company alone, of all the subsidiary
corporations which contribute to the
ease and comfort Of railway transpOr-
tation Of passengers and freight
Sherman, as chairman Of the Repub-
lican congressional committee, many Of
his colleagues think, should have had
better political sense than to have led
them into the position where they could
be criticised instead Of praised for their
action on the rate bill.
Democrats are delighted at the situa-
ton. They are chiefly DESTROYS Of a
new conference, so Tillnnan may get
chance to put himself straight. He vo-
ted to let the sleeping cars out, and so
long as his record remains that way
the Democrats viii find It difficult to
make the political capital they desire
for use in the coming campaign. If IN
the new conference Tfllman could be
Induced to vote to put sleeping cars
back where they were in the senate bill.
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