Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-09
TALKING OF RATES
THE HEPBURN BILL TAKEN UP
ny SENATE COMMITTEES.
Strong Efforts VIII Be Made to Amend
the Measure Before
It Is Reported.

The Senate committee on interstate COM
merce today began consideration OF the
Hepburn rate bin. which passed the House
yesterday. This measure Is now made the
basis Of legislation and has been taken up
section by section. Today was devoted to
the first section, which describes the kind
of transportation to which the act shall ap-
ply. There was quite discussion In the
committee as to whether express COM
panies and Pullman cars are included In
this section: also whether under the terms
OF the section railroads would not be COM
PEELED to transfer freight IN transit at the
option of the shipper. Several amendments
were suggested to meet objections raised
By different senator's.
The amendments offered came from men,
bers of the committee believed to be OPP
posed to the passage OF the DILL None
was offered by members known to be
friendly to the measure.
Not one of the amendments was voted
upon.
The bill did not reach the committee by
the regular channels, but was taken up in
order to facilitate its consideration. Hay-
ing passed the House only yesterday. there
had not been time to have 1t referred from
the Senate to the committee by the usual
methods. But that was done on motion
of Senator Elkins In the Senate today.
From this time on until the 10th instant,
when the committee will vote on bills be-
fore it. there will be daily sessions of the
committee.
Desire Of the Committee.
There is an earnest desire In the COM
mittee to so frame the Hepburn bill as to
secure a report on 1t to the Senate by a
majority of the committee. 1t Is believed
by many senators that that will be done.
and as time goes on there seems to be more
and more hopefulness Of some sort of COM
promise in the committee which Will allow
a bill to be sent to the Senate In form
that 1t can secure a majority vote there
within reasonable time.
In no sense is there disposition on the
part Of the senators who have contended
for an amendment to the House bill max
ing special provision for an appeal on the
part of the railroads from decisions OF the
interstate commerce commission TO the
courts to concede that point. The views or
senators that are now expressed privately
insure a most interesting debate In the
Senate as to whether such an appeal would
he allowable under the common law. ana
whether 1t could be depended upon. Sena-
tor Knox has given the weight OF MS
opinion to the effect that there is at all
times under the common law guarantee
of the right to appeal in such case.
There also will be speeches to the eHec.
that such a right for appeal would be too
restricted, If 1t exists at all, to protees the
railroads In their property rights. These
senators will claim that as the President IN
his message to Congress clearly s.a.ea leu, Inc %
the bill he favors would give the right 10
appeal to the court, they are entitled 20
have that provision distinctly inserted IN
the bill.
Effect of Providing for Appeals.
But senators who want to see the Hep
burn bill pass as near its present form as
possible are positive in asserting that IL
now represents the Views of the President.
and that If successful attempt should De
made to insert provision for an appeal TO
the court IL would have the effect OF grant
ing an appeal on so many GROUNDS as To
practically wipe out the commission as
factor In the fixing of rates.
Democratic senators on the committee on
with Senator Dolliver, Senator Cuiiom ana
Senator Plat, are feeling quite connoene
that they win be able to report the hep.
burn bill to the Senate with no materfaI
change That will not result, however. II
II Is done at all, until most decided EFFORT
has been made to change the bill in many
1t Is claimed in the Senate that
the discussion In the House of Representa-
tives on this bill, and the failure to permit
to any considerable extent
has resulted in the House sending TO the
Senate a crude measure that must De gone
over carefully, and that long deiiberation
will be necessary in order to properly
amend It
But the subject of rate legislation has re-
eeiyed such long consideration in the Sen
ate that it is believed senators will be able
to make considerable progress in getting
on this BILL and that the debate
in the Senate will not be as long drawn
out as has been supposed.