The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-18
CLOSING Up ON
THE RATE BILL
Numerous Amendments Take
Up Most of the Time in
Senate.
FACETI0US AMENDMENTS
SUGGESTED BY SENATOR'S
Penalty Clause Made to Apply
to Both Shippers and
Carriers.

WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE Sen
ate today received another installment
of Senator Bailey's version of the ef-
fort to secure an understanding be-
tween the Democratic Senators and
the President on the terms of the Pail
road Rate bill, and in presenting II he
included the memoranda OF former
Senator Chandler to the President. on
which the charges of bad faith against
Mr.. Bailey have been predicated. The
Texas Senator again arraiGned his crit
les in sharp language.
Mostly Talked Rate Bill.
With the exception of Mr.. Bailey's
depression, the entire day was de-
voted to a review by the Senate of the
amendments to the rate bill made In
committee of the whole, ard covered
somewhat more than half Of the meas
ure. There was a prospect of conclua-
ing the reading until the section grant
Ing to the Interstate Commerce COM
mission power to fix rates was reached
and the question OF the constitution
ality Of that provision was raised.
One Clause Attacked.
The attack was made on the clause
giving to the commission discretion on
the power of the preserving ates, and
a long debate ensued The question
was still under discussion when the
day came to a close. The clause was
sharply attacked By Senators Teller.
Knox and Foraker. Mr Knox eY-
pressed doubt whether the bill would
be constitutional even with the discre-
tionary power omitted and It was Mr.
Foraker's opinion that 1t would not.
Anti-Pass Provision.
Tine anti-pass provision was then ta-
ken up, and a new draft by Senator
Culberson was adopted In place Of the
amendment adopted yesterday The
only change made was in phraseology
and all the classes specified yesterday
were excepted. The provision was still
further amended, at the instance of
Senator Hansbrough. SO as to make
the penalty apply to persons asking
and accepting passes as well as to
those granting them. The penalty is
fine OF from Sl00 to $4,000.
Senator Dolliver moved to add trav-
cling secretaries of the Y. NJ c. A,
and the amendment was accepted.
Facetious Amendments.
Senator Hale then moved to include
baseball and football players" and
phanS.' Both were voted down amid
laughter. The amendment. as modi-
fed, was then finally accepted.
The provision prohibiting common
carriers from transporting articles of
their own production was then taken
up, and after some changes in phrase
ology the amendment was agreed to
There were several Efforts to extend
the time when the provision shall go
.Nr
Senator Stole made an Intellectual ef-
fort to have pipe lines excepted, and
Senator Piles made several efforts to
have the provision apply only to COM
mon carriers whose principal business
Is that of common carriers"
Penalty Clause Added.
Senator LaFollette secured the ad-
dition OF a penalty clause TO the pro-
vision requiring railroad companies to
put In switches and supply cars TO
shippers.
The amendments TO section 2, deal
Ing with railroad tariff schedules, were
all accepted without discussion. and
IL looked for a time as IL the entire
section might be disposed OF very
speedily, until Senator Lodge sought to
have the words knowingly and Will
fully inserted In connection with the
penalty for granting rebates or dis
eliminating in favor OF any shipper
The amendment precipltated debate.
Discussing the Penalty.
This controversy took the shape of
a discussion of the efficacy of the I'm
prisonment penalty for u violation OF
the Interstate Commerce law, and was
In by MesSrs Foraker.
LaFollette, Clark OF Arkansas, Gal
linger. Knox, McCumber and Bailey.
The Texas Senator suggested that II
the penalty against both carrier and
shipper should stand the Government
would find Itself without witnesses In
the prosecution of offenders. Mr. Nc
Cumber declared that the great trusts
are the principal criminals In the re-
bate matter"
Shippers Included.
The Lodge amendment was accepted.
ana the provision was agreed to after
the acceptance of a suggestion by Sen
ator Stone making the penalty clause
explicitly applicable to shippers az
we'll as carriers
Senator McCumber presented q suh-
stitute for his provision imposing
penalty for accepting rebates amount
ing 10 three times the amount received
emitting the imprisonment penalty,
The substitute was accepted
Question of Judgment
When section 4. granting authority
to the Interstate Commerce commission
TO fix rates, was reached, Senator Till
man asked Senator Allison for his
opinion as to the propriety of retain
ing the words ''in its Judgment I'm the
clause empowering the commission to
prescribe just and reasonable rates
The Iowa Senator replied that he had
consulted several lawyers and was
convinced that "the words constitute
an essential part OF the bill and should
be retained
Tillmnp Puzzled.
Mr. Tillman said he had been in
formed that the clause would render
the bill unconstitutional and he moved
to strike out the words "tn It's jude-
ment," saying that he had not found
anNppn Wbp roulJ tnl hin, ,,I,.. ~