The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-08

serves all the competitive forces which
tend to increase the economy Of trans
portation and reduce the cost thereof
The railroad officials fear that it is
dangerous. Let US admit it. There is
some danger No one can tell how
dangerous It might become if fully ex-
ercised. But no new legislation is ever
enacted without some element OF danger
is that the pending measure is conser-
vatfve. X protects the interests Of the
shipping community and does not per-
NIT the confiscetion Of the railroad
mise measure. 1t probably does not meet
the full views OF any one.
Some Features Objectionable.
Some things about the bill are OBJ
jectionable, The provision fixes a PEN
atty Of 5000 for each distinct violation
Of the order of the commission, and II
might penalize a road to the extent of
millions of dollars day. The propo-
sition Is so unconscionable that the
court must hold it unconstitutional
No one, whether he be person or cor
poration, should be threatened with ru-
to the courts of the land for constitu-
tionaI protection. Probably no attempt
would ever be made to enforce such
penalties. -
Expressing some reticence at doing So
Mr.. Mann said he would explain why
the bill contained nothing relating TO
passenger and sleeping car rates. I'VE
have a bill which will pass this and the
other body and we did not want to ar
ray southern senators against the bill
and open up in this body the question
of separate cars for whites and blacks
IN the south"
state commerce act prohibited free trans
portation and the present bill did not
Interfere with that
Everybody Congratulated.
Mr.. Williams. the Democratic floor
leader, who followed Mr.. Mann, presented
a host of congratulations upon the rate
bill He took up In turn in his fenclta-
tons the Democratic members az, OF t t1e
committee representing the bill, the
whole committee, the DEMOCRATIC party,
the Republican party, the president ana
the country. -,
all that had been done by congress. and
went over the ground that had been de-
bated at length during the past ten DAYS
He concluded with an expression OF the
hope that the house would stay IN SEES
sion until the beginning of the next SEES
sion before it would yield to an amend
ment which might be put in by the SEN
ate, the effect Of which might be to
weaken the bill.
Debate Concluded by Hepburn
Mr.. Hepburn began the concluding
speech on the bill at 2:45 p. m.
Mr.. Hepburn took up in turn the points
made in opposition to the bill, ana ais
posed of each in a brief manner. FIRST
he deprecated the effort to claim political
credit. He reviewed the progress ana de-
velopment of roads during the past TWEEN
ty years to show that the interstate com
merce act of that time had not impeded
railroad progress.
Touching on the construction of words
which had been made a point OF opposl-
ton, Mr. Hepburn declared the utter fu-
tility of getting a legislative unanlmlty on
that point He asserted not member
Of the house could write a tWenty~Word
sentence that would Lot be capable or
two constructions.
You doubtless have heard the story
of the little girl whose people were 70
move to Missouri. and who prayed,
Goodbye, God, we are going TO move 10
Missouri Laughter.)
Her brother heard her. and in his joy
at the prospect of travel amended the
prayer in this way; good, by 600, we
are going to move to MISSOURI. (Pro-
longed laughter)
He maintained that no court rights
were lost under the bill, and concluded
with an expression of the hope that the
He concluded at o'clock, and asked at
cnce for the reading Of the bill
Amendments Presented.
Mr.. Grosvenor (Ohio) stated that he had
reconsidered his intention to offer an
amendment prohibiting railroad officials
from owning industrial properties along
the line OF their roads.
An amendment was presented by Mr..
Underwood (Alabama) extending the reg
ulatiOns of the existing laws and the pro-
posed bill to express conpanies-ou a vote
by Tellers the amendment was defeated
1l9 to 14s.
A number Of other amendments were
defeated. among them being:
My Mr. ShaekIefOrd of Missouri to add
q long and short haul clause.
BY Mr. Prince of Illinois, to require all
all railroads after 1910 to own the cars run
over their roads.
BY Mr. Shepard of Texas, to include
carriers wholly by water
BY Mr.. Shackleford of Missouri several
for freight classification.
An anti-pass amendment by Mr.. Gaines
of Tennessee was defeated-99 to f3.
Mr.. Sulzer of New York offered his bill
as an amendment, but it went out on q
point of order.
Reported Intact.
It was 6:45 O'Clock when all amend
ments were DISPOSED of. All proposed
changes had been rejected. and the bill
was reported to the house exactly as it
came from Mr.. Hepburn's committee.
Mr.. Gaines pursued his anti-pass cam
paign further by endeaVoring to recon-
tions to report his amendment on It.
This failed. A roll cali was demanded on
the passage of the bill Just as it was
about to begin the house, at 6:55 p. m.
on motion of Mr.. Hepburn,
Of o'rIOCk ooou