Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-02-15

W. = hIi d. mn. DAY evening trying
to amend the measure. But after an
exciting session it was left intact, de-
spite flood of amendments launched
against it.
For three hours amendment after
amendment was offered, but all went
down in defeat. These contained all
manner of propositions, such as regu
lating preferentials, the long and short
haul, passes, court procedure, whole
rate bills and parts of bills.
The minority leader Mr.. Williams,
summarized the bill and all that had
been done by Congress, and went over
the ground that had been debated at
length during the last ten days. He
concluded with an expression of the
hope that the House would stay in ses-
sion until the beginning of the next
session before it would yield to an
amendment which might be put on in
the Senate the effect of which might
be to weaken the bill
Mr.. Hepburn, in his concluding
speech, took up in turn the points
made in opposition to the bill. First
he deprecated the effort to claim po-
| litical credit. He reviewed the prog
| ress and development of railroads dur
| ing the last twenty years to show that
the interstate commerce act of that
| time had not impeded railroad prog
ress. Touching the construction Of
words which had been made a point
of opposition, Mr.. Hepburn showed the
utter futility of getting unanimity on
that point. He asserted not a member
word sentence that would not be capa-
bic of two constructions.
Provisions of the Bill.
Congressman Hepburn explained that
his bill was intended and did, so far as
it could be made to, comply specifically
with the commentators of President
Roosevelt on the rate question. 1t gives
the Interstate Commerce Commission au
thority. when a rate has been complained
of as unreasonable by a shipper, to in
vestigate that rate, state whether or not
il is unreasonable, and if found to be I'M
reasonable, to name rate which is to be
just anu redSOudDle ndu ldlTly TeluuneTd-
tive, which is to be the maximum rate to
be charged.
This rate so fixed is to go into effect
thirty days after it is announced by the
commission, subject during that time to
be set aside or suspended by the COM
mission or by the courts. After it has
gone into effect it is to remain the rate
for three years. During this time the
opinion has been expressed by those who
have participated in the debate that the
rate may also be reviewed by the courts
and if found to be n-conflict with the
terms of the act or with the Constitution,
by being confiscatory, can be set aside
by the courts.
Another important feature is the defni-
ton of the words railroad and trans
portation" in a manner to exclude all
auxiliary instrumentalities of the common
carrier and to bring them within the con-
troll of the commission. This power to
name a reasonable rate and the inclusion
of the auxiliaries within the jurisdiction
of the commission are said to be the new
features. All other provisions are modi-
fcations of existing law. They include
publicity of railroad methods, which is to
be aided by prescribing system of book
keeping and enlarging the commission to
seven members and increasing their sal
aries to $4,000 a year.