Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-20
RAILROAD RATE BILL.
No Agreement Expected Until Some
Time Next Week

From present indications the conferees
on the railroad rate bill will not reach an
| agreement until some time next week,
which in all probability will be the last
! week of the session. The purpose of with
| holding their report, 1t is said, is to avoid
a repetition of the long debate in the SEN
ate which followed the recent report of the
conferees. This debate resulted In sending
the bill back to conference
Conversations the conferees have had
with various members of the Senate and
House indicate that there are only three
amendments that are giving trouble These
are the pipe line amendment, which makes
pipe lines common carriers the commodity
amendment, and that which requires that
the interstate commerce commission shall
be given five days notice before hearings
are granted upon applications for injunc-
tlonS setting aside orders of the commission
The controversy over the pipe line amend
ment can be disposed of by change in
the commodity amendment. The change
suggested would provide that railroads, in
stead OF common carriers" shall not en-
gage In carrying commodities which they
produce. Another objection to this amend
ment is its application to lumber Strong
protests have been filed with the conferees
showing that If this amendment is adopted
1t will ruin number of small roads which
were built for the sole purpose of getting
lumber to trunk lines.
new argument has been advanced
against the amendment recurring that five
days notice be given of hearings for in
functions. Labor organizations have de-
manded that a bill be passed which would
require that they be given five days notice
OF in1unctions to restrain them from en-
gaging in strikes. This is a political argu-
ment which has given much concern, and
the House conferees during recent sessions
have insisted that this amendment be
eliminated for the reason that 1t would
establish precedent for similar legfslati
in the interests of labor.
There are number of other amendments
on which agreements have not been reached
but which could be adjusted easily by the
conterees. Among these are the sleeping
ear and lateral branch line amendments
| 1t Is expected that the latter will be dropped
out of the bill and also that the measure
Will not be applied to sleeping cars
The anti-pass amendment is in dispute
and II is said that the only way an agree
ment concerning 1t can be reached is to
redraft the amendment SO as to provide
merely that passes shall not be issued to
members of Congress, officials of the execu-
tive departments. presidential electors and
other classes over which the federal gov
eminent admittedly has control An anus
ing incident connected with the protest
against the adoption of the pass prohf-
bltion is one which comes from banana
Shippers. Cattle men had insisted that they
be permitted passes to accompany stock to
market, and now the banana men insist that
they receive passes so that they NAV ac-
company their shipments in order to insure
proper temperature in the refrigerator and
ventilated cars used for the carrying of this
fruit
Because of the absence from the city OF
Senator Elkins and Representative Sher-
man the conferees did not NEE. yesterday.
but decided to hold a session at 2 o,clocL
today, when Mr.. Sherman will be able TO
attend. Senator Elkins is not expected to
return to the city until Friday.