Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-15
LINING UP ON HEPBURN BILL
Senate Committee Spends Day in Discuss
ing Amendments.
COURT REVIEWS BONE OF CONTENTION
Friends Of Measure Are Ready to
Report ii without Amendment
Opposition Claims Majority
of Committee.
COURT REVIEWS BONE OF CoNTENTlo

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4.-ln the senate
committee on Interstate commerce the line
between the faction which advocates the
passage of the house bill and the faction
contending for the court review feature has
been drawn so taut that all thought OF
compromise has been abandoned. All con-
ferences today were between senators
thoroughly harmonzed for one position or
the other and have been for the purpose
of lining up for a passage Mt arms. Nearly
100 amendments TO the house bill are pend
ing before the committee and nearly a
score of these bear on the judicial review
of orders made by the Interstate Commerce
commission If many of these amendments
are contended for with stubbornness, a
vote on the bill itself may be delayed for
several days despite the agreement in
committee that a vote shall be taken Fri
day. 1t is not improbable that both fac
tions may be willing to transfer the con-
test to the floor Of the senate and that
no roll call will be had in the committee.
DoIIiver stands Pat.
If outward appearances may be believed
in the face of the manipulations to corner
votes the Hepburn bill cannot be taken
from the committee by majority vote.
and Clapp. although they admitted today
that they have not q majority OF the COM
mittee votes corralled for the house bill In
it's present form. They asserted, how
ever, that they Will not accept an amend
ment Of any character specihcaily pro
yidinr for judicial review Of the orders of
the commission and that they will bring
out "A minority report. II a majority of
no. R.41 N 20
other hand, Senators Aldrich, Foraker
Elklns, Ilean and Crane, the leaders OF
the faction demanding less radical legisla-
ton. insist that they have enough votes
in the committee to amend the bill. They
say. nevertheless. that they do not propose
10 substitute a measure for the house bill
nor to about an amendment which would
delay an order from the commission from
becoming effective.
Might Force InJunctioDs.
Under the Hepburn bill it is provided that
an order of the commission shall go into
effect within thirty days. They say that
while 1t is not contemplated that a law
shall be passed which shall take away
the right of common carriers to apply Tor
an Injunction on the ground that the rate
fixed is conhscatory, the thirty-day proEl-
sion will have the effect of forcing IN
functions. as this limited time will not per-
nit % a review that would determine
whether the order is contiscatory.
These senators are contending for an
amendment that would correct what they
would term an injustice, but insist that
they are not holding out for any particular
phraseology. Having ascertained that an
amendment 90 that purpose. no matter
how worded. will not be accepted by sup
porters of the Hepburn bill, it was agreed
today that conferences between the two
factions are a waste Of time.
Friends of the house hill say they are
ready for vote on the bill itself. but 1t