The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-01
NEW PROVISION IN
RAILROAD RATE BILL
President Calls important Con-
ference at White House
20 VOTES ARE PROMISED
Amendment Agreed Upon Provides
Specially for judicial Review OF
orders of Interstate Com
merce Commission.

wash,neton March 31.-Friends of the
r4ouse railroad rate bill in conference with
President Roosevelt at the White House
today agreed upon an amendment proVio-
ing specifically for judicial review oil or
ders of the interstate commerce cohiiiiis
s,on sh,s amendment will be presented on
Monday by Senator Long, pronouhceo
onnonent of any amendment which would
nernit the railroads to obtain review
Of a character amounting to retrial OF
the merits of the commissions oroer'
Senators Allison. Cullom. Dolliver' ciapp
and Long, Attorney General Moody ana
Interstate Commerce Commissioners
xnann and Prouty were called to the
White House late this evening oooii
after they assembled the President SUD
,,i,,ed tho court review amendment that
was afterwards endorsed by all present.
A number of the conferees previously had
seen the draft but its authorship was
not disclosed.
Wanted to Know State Of Feeling.
Tho President announced that he hao
aaa,dad ,,non the meeting because he de-
sired TO ascertain the present state OF
feeling in Congress regarding Judiciai
review feature In the legislation. IL was
made clear that he had rot changed ms
views regarding the pending Dill, anu
siuilar stands were taken by the others
The President thought however, that III
difference to the large NUMBER OF sena
tors who honestly believed that the piii
without such feature would De uhcoh,
stitutional, the bill should pe aienueo
if IT could be done without SURRENDER
of the purposes of the legislation. This
could he done. he believed. by an amend
nent which he then read. II proposed
TO strike out the paragraph AT the oo'toih
of page IA and insert as part OF sectioh
16 the following
New Feature Is Added.
..rsa. al, orders of the commission ex-
oao, orders for the payment of money.
shaIl take effect within such reasonable
time az shall be prescribed by the com
mission. and shall continue Tor such Pc
riod of time. not exceeding two years as
shall be prescribed In the oruer Oh .nc
ccynm,ssion nnless sooner set aside by the
oomnission or set aside in a suit brought
against the commission In the circuit
court of the United States, sitting as
a court of equity for the district wherein
any carrier plaintiff In SAID SUI. mas
,ts nrineipal operating office. and Jurisuie-
,ion "a hereby conferred on the circuit
court of the United States to near ana
determine in any such suit whether the
order complained Of was beyond the
authoritv of the commission or In VIOLA
tion of the rights Of carriers secured py
the constitution
Discussion of the amendment cohtinuen
for an hour or more. 1t was carefaliy
analvzed to ascertain whether under It's
terms an order of the commission lower
ing rate could be delayed in taking
effect. Attorney General Moody and other
ls wyers pointed out that the discretion
of the commission is absolute Without
specifically declaring against restraining
orders. it makes 1t extremely doubtful
whether a court would attempt to In
terfere with an order except in the man
ner provided.
Twenty-Five Votes Promised.
When the President asked whether an
amendment Of that character would be
adopted by the Senate. the senators pres
ent said they thought they could promise
% republican votes for I, and that there
| is little doubt but that practically the
entire minority would support it.
1t wa-S agreed that the amendment
should bA offered a. soon as possible.
Senator Dpng has given notice that he
would addiess ~ eenats On Nopday