Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-04-28
HOUSE RATE BILL
LIKELY TO PASS.
The Outlook For Its Success is
Regarded as Favor
able.
ELkINs WILL VOTE FOR IT.
Only Draw back Is With Reference TO
An Amendment OF Great Inter-
est 10 His People.
Snecial Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
Washington. April 24.-When the
house rate bill was reported from the
senate committee on commerce Sena-
tor Elklns of West Virginia. chairman
Of the committee. stated that he would
have voted for the bill II an amend
ment had been allowed which was Oh
great interest TO his people and when
would have compelled the trunk lines
to furnish lateral connections, In
fact. this problem is the one that has
caused so much contention In the sem
ate because Senator Tillman day atter
day presented a request ffom SONY
one IN West Virginia asking legislation
on these lines Senator Elkins is sun
trying to secure such an amendment
to the house bill, and probably 1t viii
be adopted, but even II 1t Is not ne
will vote for the house bill. That Is
not altogether surprising. for ever
since the hearings began year age
Elkins says that he has favored a rate
bill.
ARE RATE BILL sTRAWS.
The declaration EllSIns made that he
will vote for the bill II he cannot get
it amended. as well as the declaration
Of McCumber, who made a strong
speech against it to the same effect.
In a straw showing which way the
rate bill wind is blowing. 1t remains
for the president and his friends To
stand firm with enough votes, and they
can pass the house bill. Should the
president agree to amendments OF
course they will be made. First one
and then another will assert that !he
president will agree to this or that
amendment. but no one has yet said
that he agrees To amendments which
Will seriously affect the bin as It pass
ed the house.
SIGNS OF SPRING.
poetical individual who writes
about the house of representatives dis
covers signs Of spring I'm that body
Signs that spring Is on the way he
sang, began to show about the house
today. Col. Hepburn bloomed forth In
n gorgeous red necktie. which, with a
white carnatlon In his lapel, made
him joy forever In passing II may
be said that Il was the same tie that
Col. Hepburn wore two years ago. E,x-
Speaker Keifer, fresh from his con-
vention beamcd upon the house. a red
rose In his buttonhole. giving the Ohio
veteran n very debonair appearance"
1t might be surm Used from this that
Gen. Keifer and Col. Hepburn were
getting quito gay,
CONTRADICTORY NEGLIGENCE.
It Is grewsome thing TO make
Joke about death. but this story is TOO
good to be lost The day that wo-
man was killed by tho senate elevator
Representative Fulkerson of Missouri
said The house IS guilty of con-
tributory negligence I'm this matter.
The senate has been In the habit OF
killing house bill every day. Today
we did not send them anything to kill,
so they killed a woman. II is a clear
case against the house"
ONE OF SLIPPERS KITTENS.
Slippers, the White House cat. has n
litter Of kittens. J. Adam Bede, tho
congressional hunorlst from Minneso-
ia, was one o. the first men informed
OF this event by President Roosevelt.
This happened because Bede was pres
ent when a little girl was introduced
to the president, and in order 10 tell
her something interesting the president
said that almost before he was awake
that morning the children came rush
Ing In and told him that Slippers had
seven kittens. few moments later
Bede was telling the president about
the bears in his district and asking him
to come out and shoot them.
"I'll trade Minnesota bear for one
of Slippers kittens" said Bede.
whether | get the bear or not, re-
piled the president, you shah have
kitten"
II am going to try the postofilce de-
partment," said Bede, "I'll frank that
kitten to Duluth and see whether the
postotllce authorities will dare to re-
fuse to accept the congressional frank
OF presidential kitten"
slippers, by the way Is a famous six
toed cat with a worldwide reputation.
CONGRESSIONAL sTENoGRAPH-
Frs
make them speak up" Is a growi
that Is sometimes heard by the stenog-
raphers who report the senate proceed
ings That Is when senators turn their
backs to the presiding officer and talk
uHlOus lItIlStlNes III II tone lndl cam
not be heard. The grow" is generally
addressed to the vice president, and he
| tells the senators they cannot be heard
| by the reporters, In the house the
| stenographers take no chances, and
| they go about in the body of the house
| and keep as close 10 every speaker as
| possible. The stenographers In both
| houses oftentlmes have to I'LL In what
| they cannot hear
| SLADEN'S SUGGESTION.
During the consideration OF the leg
| islatlve bill In the house last week
| Representative Sladen OF Texas called
| attention to an item I'm II for a law
| clerk In the surgeon generals office.
| Representative Littauer of New York,
| in charge Of the bill. said that the clerk
| was more In the nature OF contract
| clerk and that he had to supervise
| laundry contracts at different ports and
| give legal advice.
| Instead Of Jaw clerk" said Sla-
| den, don't you think you had better
| call him a laundry clerk?"