Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-19
BILL PASSED At LAST
Senate Ends Seventy Days De-
liberation on Rates.
VOTE II YEAS TO 3 NAYS
No Manifestation When Result Was
Announced.
SCENES IN CLOSING DEBATE
Mr.. Bailey Declared That the Measure
Was Vast Improvement Over
the Existing Law.
GENES IN CLOSING DEBATE

The railroad rate bill as passed by the
Serate provides:
THAI the interstate commerce commission
shall investigate charges Of unjust and I'M
reasonable rates OF common carriers.
II Determinations are found. the commits
sion is empowered to fix a just and reason
able maximum rate.
Orders OF the commission go into effect
within thirty days and continue in force
Tor two years unless set aside by the COM
mission or a court.
The penalty for disobedience Of the or
ders OF the commission is fine of So, 600
daily.
United States circuit courts shall have
Jurisdiction over suits to annul acts Of the
commission, the granting of introductory
DEGREES without hearings and making ap-
peals direct to the supreme court.
OIL pipe lines, express and sleeping car
companies are declared common carriers
The commission has access to the ac-
counts of the companies affected.
After seventy days of almost continuous
elaboration. the Senate at 453 yesterday
afternoon passed the railroad rate bill by
the practically unanimous vote of II to 8.
The three negative votes were cast by Sen
ator Foraker, republican of Ohio, and Sem
ators Morgan and Pettus, democrats Ala
bama There was a somewhat larger at
tendance of senators than usual, but the
attendance in the galleries was by no
means abnormal, and there was no mani
festation of any kind when the result was
announced. There was, however an al
most general sigh of relief among SEN
ators.
The bill has received more attention from
the Senate and from the country at large
than any measure that has been before
Congress since the repeal Of the purchas-
Ing clause Of the Sherman act In 1893. 1t
was reported to the Senate February g.
and was made the unfinished business on
March L. From March IL to May the
bill was under discussion, without limitation
on the duration Of speeches, fifty-eight Of
which were delivered. Many of these were
prepared with great care, and two of them
consumed more than a days time in de-
livering. Senator La Toilette, the junior
senator from Wisconsin. spoke for three
days and Senator Daniel of Virginia for
two days Senators Bailey, Foraker, Lodge,
Rayner. Dolliver and others spoke for one
entire day.
For twelve days the bill has been under
consideration under a rule limiting speeches
to fifteen minutes each. The debate has
at times been earnest and animated, but
for the most part devoid OF personality as
between senators, the past few days. how
ever, having called out some caustic crit
icisms of the President and of some news
paper correspondents by Senator Bailey.
The Closing Debate.
In the closing debate Senator La Fol-
lette took issue with Mr.. Delivers con-
tention that the pending bill was a COM
pliance with the Presidents recommends
tion saying that the contrary was true,
and that 1t did not contain provisions that
would enable the interstate commerce COM
mission to ascertain what are either just
or reasonable rates He also deprecated
the idea of making it party question TT
may be done here, but not in the country
at large" he said you cannot divide the
people at large on the question as to wheth-
er the railroads shall serve the people
eQuitably and justly"
Speaking of the defeat of his own
amendments he said: They were voted
down by republican colleagues who had
England senator's" He contended that the
addition of his amendments would have
strengthened the measure and they should
have been accepted. He then entered upon
an argument against overcaptalization
and said that so long as 1t was permitted
the question would remain live issue. 1T
will not be possible to keep it within the
closed doors of the committee rooms'' he
said in conclusion.
Senator Morgan announced his intention
to Join Mr.. Foraker in voting against the
bill. and said that the advocates Of the
| measure had themselves furnished stuff
cient reason for his position II he had no
convictions Of his own He had no fear of
public sentiment, he declared. and an
Alabama would sustain him In his course
He said that the course of the railroads in
connection with recent disasters had shown
such liberaity on their part as to con-
vince him that railroad men do not deserve
unconditional condemnation. He expressed
the further opinion that the railroads have
been able to draw to their support more
talent than can be found in Congress.
Having performed my duty In offering
amendments which were not adopted,
Shall have supreme satisfaction in voting
no on the final roll CALL" he said He said
that the law contains provisions inimicaI
to the interests of Alabama, and intimated
that the governor of that state would take
early steps to test its validity in the su-
preme court.
Improvement on Present Law.
Senator Bailey announced his conviction
that the bin was vast Improvement over
| the existing law and said he would vote
| for It. IF not perfect It can be amended,
and IL the carriers do not respect and obey
this milder law Congress will pass law
with teeth in N-with teeth of metal that
will hurt" He thought some mistake had
been made In voting down amendments
but even with these deficiencies the bill
deserves to receive not only the votes of
| Congress but the approval of the people
| II the carriers evade 1t on them will fall
the consequences.
IF the law proves insufficient our sue
| cessors will remedy mistakes he said
They can and will only complete their
| work when they write out the maximum
| rate and write In the absolute rate 1t is
| for the shippers TO decide whether there
| shall be drastic law"
| That the bill was incomplete and frar-
mentary was the opinion expressed by SEN
| ator Newlands but he announced his pur-
| pose to vote for II as an advance on present
| law.
Anxious as were senators by this time to
reach a vote there was nevertheless much
| interest manifested when Senator Tiliman
| took the floor. After announcing his inten-
| ton to vote for the bill as "the best he
| could get, he entered upon the task of
acknowledging the instrumentality of the
| President in securing the legislation. He
came bluntly to the point, saying: But for
the work of Theodore Roosevelt in bringing
| this matter to the attention of the country
| we would not have had any bill at all II
| Is true that the idea was not his and that
| the demand for the legislation was made
| In three democratic platforms; neyertheless
| he seized upon the idea, and the success of
| the issue Is largely duo TO his advocacy
| can't congratulate him on his victory. for
| think we should have had better BILL
/ He complimented the republican party on
its practical unanimity, but predicted that
| some scars would remain as the result of
H. 49,