Arizona republican., 1906-02-22

WasningtO Feb. 21.-when the senate committee on interstate com mercee meets on Friday to vote on a rate bill, the announcement will be made authoritatively that President Roosevelt will not attempt 10 prevent an amendment to the Hepburn bill; he will leave the committee free to ex- eEeise its best judgment and if pos stbles compromise. it's differences; that If a bill is reported, which does nos meet his approval and in that form IS passed by congress, he VIII content himself to exercise his veto power.
 His announcement will be made as result of a conference here today with the most active persons support ing the house bill without amendment but will be delivered to the committee by senator who has supported an amendment providing for the judicial review of an order of the Interstate commerce commission.
 The conference at the White House is one of many that have been held there in the last week for the discus- sion of the railroad rate question. 1t was attended by Senator Deliver and Senator Clapp. Speaker Cannon Rep resentative Hepburn and Attorney General Moody. They had under con sideration an amendment said to have been drafted by Senator Knox and re- vised by the attorney general. The draft in it's revised form. however, Is said not to be satisfactory to it's au- thor. IL was offered in a spirit of compromise and the president and the attorney general wanted to know whether it would be acceptable to the members of congress who are making q fight to prevent the adoption of any amendment which they believe would interfere with the operation of the measure they purpose to enact into . law.
 Briefly stated the amendment aimed 10 give to any eonpIainan6 authority 10 file a petition in circuit court as Iserting that a rate fixed by the com 70 mission was in fact illegal or that an order of the commission was in reality unlawful and authorizes the court to hear the suit to decide whether thu commission acted within its authority and whether the constitutional rights of the plaintiff had been violated
 As they had previously announced they would do all those called into conference made firm stand for the Hepburn bill in it's present form and said that none of the amendments suggested seemed to be an improve ment They said that if the bill spec | flied the conditions under which com plaints should be taken into court the court might refuse to take cognizancP of matters not specified in the bill. They said they preferred to leave oper every feature upon which an aggriev- ed person might desire 10 go intr court. Attorney General Moody 1t is said. contended that the Hepburn bill | Is constitutional and that there Is no danger of its being overturned by thf | United States supreme court He would not pass upon the wisdom Of amending the bill. taking the position that that is a function outside of his
 province.
 l After Senators Deliver and Clapp returned to the capitol they told cer- ttsin colleagues that they would go into the committee on Friday and make a firm stand in favor of the bill without amendment. When asked concerning
 the attitude of the president. they said | they believed he is satisfied with the bill as it stands, but that it Is too
 much to say that he Is opposed to any amendment whatever.
 The president is described by them
 as ready to consider any amendments
 that might. be offered and willing to
 listen to any proposition up to the time
 the bill is placed on It's final passage.
 They said that if anything should be
 brought forward which in the opinion
 of friends of the bill would better 1t
 and not obstruct it's operation, the
 president would give it careful study.