Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-02-13
SENATE COMMITTEE CONSIDERS
RATE BlLL-DoLLlvER in
ARGUMENT
SCORES THE COMMITTEE
Both Senators DolIiver and cIapp En-
gage in Hot Discussion With sena-
tor Aldrich, Chief Among the oppo-
ments of the Bill.

Washington, D. c., Feb. 12.-With
all sorts of compromises rumored the
senate committee on interstate COM
merce today resumed consideration of
the railroad rate bill. The rupture in
committee yesterday, causing Senator
Clapp to withdraw and Senators Dolliv-
er and Aldfich to indulge in a heated
controversy over the character of the
amendments offered, was smoothed ov-
er temporarily at least. Senator Clapp
however, was not present today.
The session continued until 1880 p.
m. The discussion was confined prin-
cipally to the definition of the word
Transportation" Chairman Knapp,
of the interstate, commerce commits
sion was before the committee to ex-
| plain his understanding of the word.
He took the position that it is not am
biguous as had been claimed as APP
piled to common carriers and that it
does not include Pullman cars and ex-
press lines. No agreement was
reached.
Warm Session Friday.
Senator Clapp was so thoroughly
ldisgusted with the committees action
that he left the meeting, announcing
that he would be back next Friday,
when a vote by agreement will be TAX
en- on the report.
| Senators Dolliver and Clapp talked
to the senate committee on interstate
commerce at it's long meeting yester-
! day afternoon and made 1T clear that
! they were weary Of the course taken
by the opponents of rate legislation.
Senator Dolliver told the committee
that he was heartily tired of the ten.
dency to delay in getting down to
business and to talk perpetually over
non-essential and trivial matters. There
was sharp passage between Senators
Dolliver and Aldrich, who is leading In
the obstructionist policy.
DolIiver Scores Committee.
| After the departure of Senator
Clapp, Senator Dolliver took the com
mittee to task for it's "levity" in con
Isidering railway rate legislation. He
called attention to the fact that the
committee had been conducting hear
/ ings since last summer and had not
arrived at any agreement. He charged
/ that some members Of the committee
did not appear to desire an agreement
/ Objection was made by Senator Aid
rich to the charge that 'levity" had
been displayed, and said that he haG
been serious in everything that he
had said. Coming up to the defense
of his sincerity, he said that he would
j talk in any manner he pleased in dis
I cussing the proposed legislation ant
would not be called to account by Sen
ator Dolliver. The Iowa senator, who
is the particular champion of the Hep
). burn bill, with equal emphasis, replied
that he too, would choose his owl
language and characterize as he
; choose the methods that he said hat
been resorted to. Chairman Elkins
who had participated in the early dis
pute. raped for order, and few min
utes later the committee adjourned.
All the efforts of the opposition tt
the Dolilver-Hepburn bill seem to b.
centered row in an attempt to amend
to uselessness, especially to get in al
amendment that will allow appeal tt
the courts on the reasonableness of
rate from the order of the commission
and suspension of the order pendin.
appeal The house bill has been dis
cussed at some length, although it wa
not formally before the committee yes