The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-02
Government Ownership May b
Outcome Of PrOcfastinatioD
SOME ACTION IS DEMANDED
Contends That Pending Bill Is Simply
Supplementary to Elkins Law and
Maintains That Measure Is
Constitutional.

Washington. March 1.-The discussion
| of the rate railroad question In the Sem
ate was continued today by Mr.. Dolliver
who spoke in support of the Dolliver-
Hepburn bill. He said that the bill was
/ intended merely to supplement the exist
/ Ing interstate commerce law and con-
tended for It's validity from constitu-
tional point of view predicting the gov
ernment ownership of the railroads would
be forced upon the country If Congress
did not meet the present demands for
rate regulation.
Mr. DonVer was not questioned and
when he concluded the remainder of the
day was devoted to the bill providing for
the settlement of affairs OF the five civil
lied tribes of the Indians after the termin-
alton of their tribal relations.
Large Crowd Greets DoIliver
That interest in the railroad rate ques-
ton continues unabated was made man
ifest again today by the large audience
which greeted Mr. Dolliver from the
Senate galleries when he rose to speak
/ on the DolliverHepburn bill. From the
! first the Iowa senator has been the
I champion of the policy of giving tho
interstate commerce commission full au-
thority and the friends of the House bill
have expected him to take a leading
part in pressing the consideration Of the
measure notwithstanding It has been
placed In charge of another senator. his
was the first speech made In support
of the bin. lie spoke without notes.
He began with a compliment to Mr..
! of interstate commerce legislation, and To
Mr.. Nelson. the author of a bill pre-
sented to the last Congress. He also re-
ferred to the fact that Messrs. Foraker
/ and Elkins had formerly introduced bills
giving to the interstate commerce COM
mission the same powers conferred In the
pending bill.
4 de dis he said. "for the double
purpose Of giving credit where It is due
and To protect MS against the sneers that
one hears In the Senate corridors over
the acceptance of bill hastily forced on
us by the other House"
Comparatively Few Changes.
The Senator then outlined the bin point
Ing out wherein It amends the existing
Interstate law saying that after all, he
changes were comparatively few. INSTEAD
of undermining the law the bin fortihes
it he said and he declared that If the
present law had been treated with the
reverence and sanetity II deserved, the
American peole would have approached
the subject in a frame of mind different
from that which now prevails.
He said the railroad companies were
unable to protect themselves against the
"hagrant abuses of the private car com
panies under section one of the present
law He had not favored the abolition
of these cars but he did believe that the
car companies should be regulated by
making responsible the railroad companies
employing them
Speaking of the interstate commerce
commission he said he recognized the fact
that It had become fashionable to speak
slightingly of the commission and defend
ed that body against such attacks. He
expressed the opinion that If the lawyers
had dealt as fairly with the commission
as with the courts, the results would
have been better.
Mr.. Dolliyer declared he did not ex-
pect a protracted vendetta between the
railroads and the business community
believing that when the law was en-
acted It would be observed by carrier
and shipper alike.
Appeal Is battle-ground.
He recognized the fact that the ques-
tion of appeal to the courts from the
orders of the commission was the battle
ground and he declared that as the bill
stands II leaves the doors to the courts
open for the protection of all constl-
tutional rights lie temporarily left that
/ point and took up the rebate question,
saying that he did not agree with either
Mr. Foraker or Mr.. Bacon that the secret
practices have been abandoned. He did
not believe the Elkins bill adequate for
protection against these practices. "'rhe
difficulty about rebates Is not in punlsh-
! ing violations of the law" he said. but
In discovering them and we have under
taken to amend the law so as to cover
/ that defect"
Returning to the question Of appeals,
Mr.. Dolliver said that the power the
commission would exercise In preventing
recourse to the court was about as great
as the power of my friends who are tip
/ toelng about this chamber talking OF
/ the day In court
/ He said that no Congress that will ever
assemble will pass law that will take
/ the markets of the world away from the
railroads that have created them and
| turn them over 10 rivalry that Will he
harmful to advancement.
Mr.. Dolver referred to the recent mag
azine article by ex-Secretary Olney and
said that he was the man upon whose
/ advice President Cleveland had sent an
army to Chicago I'm the face Of the PRO
tests of panic-stricken mayors and
screaming governors"
Causes PerceptIbe Stir.
| There was a perceptbe stir in tho
Senate when Mr. Dolliver referred TO one
! investigator who had to unload his
railroad securities to give him the spir-
| itual preparation for the work
He also referred to the research into
ancient transportation made by some sen-
ators and To show that he had been
slothful In that respect quoted in the
! Transportation section from the laws OF
| Hammurabl l. Of Babylon. showing the
| necessity for an advertising agent for
| that ancient sovereign. He also went
| back to the time of Queen Anne of Eng
land when he sad commission had
been established to fix maximum rates
between the systematic stimulation OF
the receipts" showed a combination max
| ing restriction necessary.
Mr. Doliver made broad plea for tho
| right to regulate the railroads. but said
| that this right did not come from the
| fact that the railroads enjoy franchises.
| ut is because of the business in which
they are engaged" he said and added