Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-22
RAIL- way BILL FIGHT
It viii Be Fought on Floor of the
Senate.
DIVISION IN COMMITTEE
No Probability Of the Republicans
Agreeing.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY PRESIDENT
Qualification Of the Conservative
Standardization Of the Bin
Introduced Today by Mr.. Knox.

The big fight on the railway rate bill
will have to be fought on the floor of the
Senate. There seems to be probability
of the republicans Of the Senate commit
tee on interstate commerce agreeing upon
the question of judicial review. 1t remains
to be tested in tomorrows voting whether
the conservative republicans can swing two
or three democratic votes and adopt the
amendment for judicial review
If they should do so It is declared today
that two republicans, Senators Dolliver and
Clapp, will unite with the remaining demo-
Gratis and bring the unamended Hepburn
bill into the Senate on a minority report
Then the real contest will begin. The out
come of that struggle will probably depend
upon the weight of executive influence
thrown into it.
Effect Of Presidents Announcement.
For the moment the President Is under
stood to be keeping hands off, that is, so
| fer as the Senate committee interstate
| commerce is concerned 1t was stated to-
| cay In most positive terms by conservative
senators that at the long conference De-
| tween the President and various members
of the House, Senate and cabinet yester-
day he declared his intention of not at
tempting to influence the action of the SEN
are committee on interstate commerce
The news of that announcement caused
qualification to conservative senators TO-DAY.
They felt that If the President does not
ipsistently demand the reporting of the
Hepburn bill without amendment 1t will
leave some democrats on the committee Tree
to exercise their desire to vote for an
amendment for judicial review. 1t has
been stated time and again, and thus far
has not been controverted, that two and
possibly three democrats on that commit
tee believe that the railway rate law should
| carry a provision for an appeal to the
courts. There are many differences of opin-
ion as to the nature of this appeal clause.
But the conservative republicans have be-
lieved all along and think today, that a
judicial review clause can be framed when
will meet the approval of a sufficient num-
Der of democrats two only being required,
to put II in the bill.
Senators Dolliver and Clapp are very firm
in their opposition to judicial review AT
yesterdays conference they refused TO
bulge an inch from the position they have
held all along. 1t is said that they were
disappointed that the President did not
come out strongly in favor of their conten-
ton, and that they felt they had lost con-
siderable strength when he announced that
he would keep hands off the committee
fight.
1t is said the President assumed this at
titude of non-interference in Difference to
the appeals of conservative senators, con-
fident in the strength of his position which
the veto power Will give him. The Pres
ident has never said he would not veto a
bill If it did not meet the requirements of
those who favor effective railway rate legis-
lation.
Committee Action Tomorrow.
No one could forecast today the out
come of tomorrow's voting in the COM
mittee The democratic senators are very
secretive as to their intention. In fact,
their course tomorrow will depend in
large measure upon the slant which the
republican voting will take; the wording
of amendments, and the way they are
brought in. Some democrats are urging
their colleagues the committee to
stand solldly together, take the two votes
of Dolliver and Clapp and the additional
vote of Senator Cullom, which is to be
recorded by wire or mail, and report the
Hepburn bill unamended.
But it is persistently claimed that some
of these democrats are viewing this bill
upon higher grounds than partisanship.
believing in the principles of judicial re-
view, and that 1t may be difficult to hold
them in line for a partisan play.
Senator Carmack's name is mentioned In
this connection He is absent from the city.
but win be allowed to record his vote as
Senator Cullom does his. by wire mail.
The names of Senators McLaurin of Missis-
sippi and Foster of Louisiana have also
been mentioned In the category. al
though one is authorized to affirm or
deny that they Will vote for an amendment
for judicial review
!. The conservative senators express them
selves absolutely confident that when the
rate bill gets into the Senate there will be
sufficient number of votes to pass 1t with the
judicial review clause included. So, whether
tomorrow's voting in committee reports the
bill with amendment or without 1t, the cru
cial test is yet to come in the Senate.
The committee met informally today and
discussed the rate bill without taking
action concerning amendments The mem
bers seemed to consider that nothing could
be accomplished today, as 1t had been
agreed that important amendments were
not to be disposed of until tomorrow. All
of the members of the committee were
present except Senator's Cullom, Carmack
and Clapp. The last-named was absent be-
cause of n meeting or the committee on
Indian affairs of which he is chairman.
The others were not in the city.
After the committee adjourned Senators
Elkins Aldrich, Kean, Foraker and Crane
assembled in the private room of the chair
man for conference, and it is understood
that they will draft amendment pro-
viding for judicial review Of orders of the
interstate commerce commission. Thus far
they have not submitted formally any
amendment on which they were united.
Senator Knox Introduces a Bill
Great interest was manifested in the Sem
ate this afternoon by the introduction of a
new railway rate bill by Senator Knox.
When he offered the bin Senator Knox
asked that 1t be read at length proceed
taken only In the case of measures of great
Importance. The Senate listened with the
closest attention to the reading OF the BILL
Senator Knox has been one of the most In
defatgable workers to bring about .-.rmoni-
Gus action upon a bill which will meet with
President Roosevelt's views and receive the
stamp of administration approval. The bill
of Senator Knox broadens the House bill
and contains provision for review by the
courts of the orders of the interstate COM
merce commission.
Senator Knox said to Star reporter this
afternoon that his bill had been introduced
without reference to the views of any one
else; that 1t not the result of any
conference or agreement with senators or
other persons. He said he had had the bill
under consideration since the delivery of
his Pittsburg speech, and that 1t set forth
his own ideas.
Senator Knox added that one reason
which dictated the introduction of the bill
today was that he desired to make it plain
that his plan for railway rate legislation
| not alone provided justice for the railways,
but conserved the rights and forwarded
the interests of the shippers as we'll
Under that bill" added Senator Knox.
with emphasis, at would be impossible in
any commerce which Congress could con-
troll fer one man to get an advantage over
moi he -