Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-20
GOING OVER THE BILLS
SENATE COMMITTEE CONSIDER.
ING RATE REGULATION.

The discussion of bills for the regulation
of railroad rates is progressing without the
development of any unusual situation. The
views of senators on the committee on in
terstate commerce and outside that commit
tee are daily taking more and more def
mite shape as the result of discussions that
are going on. There has been no vote in
the committee to accurately gauge the SEN
timent of senators, and the bills before the
committee are so numerous that it is ques-
tionable how the members will vote when
the time comes.
The committee is now engaged in going
over the different bills that are before it in
order that each senator who has bill he is
pressing may have a final opportunity to
know the objections that lie against it in
the minds Of other members of the COM
mtttee, so that as far as possible he may
modify it in order to make it conform to
the views of others, and gain the greatest
degree of support.
No One Committed.
But this method of getting together
does not involve any voting and does not
commit any one to particular bills beyond
their authors. and 1t does not commit them
to any important extent Yesterday after
noon the committee went over the Dolliver
and the Newlands bills These bills were
read carefully and senators pointed out
what they regarded as their weak features
The senators in charge of bills so consfd-
cred by the committee have an opportunity
to go over them and to modify them to
meet objections to whatever extent they be-
lieve to be desirable.
The committee did not succeed in getting
quorum today, and so there was only an
Informal discussion. The Foraker bill was
discussed, as was the Dolliver bill to some
extent.
Senator F,lkins has Indicated cop,a oe No
leading features of the bill he proposes to
place before the committee. but he has not
yet presented bill embodying his ideas
The committee will not of course begin to
vote on the bills finally until the chairman
of Inc committee has presented his bill
. Senator Tillman has a bill before the
committee which he is likely to support
when all the bills are voted on, and there is
the interstate commerce commission bill
which is generally regarded as being prac-
tlcally replaced by the Dolliver bill, which
is a modification of it.
May Report Several Bills.
After Senator El1ins has presented his bill
and all the bills have been informally dis
cussed in the manner now being pursued the
committee will take them up and will vote
on them. 1t is doubtful whether any Of the
bills will have a majority vote of the COM
mittee. On the other hand, it seems likely
that several bills will be reported to the
Senate, each with such support as it can
gather. The entire matter will then be
thrown into the Senate, where there will be
a long discussion.
The southern senators on the committee
have recently been showing good deal OF
concern in relation to the effect of the va
rious measures on the practice in the south
of providing separate cars for white and
colored passengers. 1t Is well understood
that the southern senators are greatly con-
cerned that they may get back of meas
ure that will as far as possible give no OBJ
struction to the continuance of such sep
arate cars.
The committee adjourned early today and
will resume its labors again Monday