Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-02
SlBLEY OPPOSES RATE BILL
Pennsylvania Member Says Bill is So
cialistic in It, Tendency.
Mr.. KNAPP SUPPORTS THE MEASURE
BesinninE Today the House VIII Meet
at II O'clock in order to Allow
More Time for De-
bate.

WASHINGTON. Feb. The house today
called for the estimate Of cotton yet to he
given. which the director Of the census has
compiled. but which he has no authority TO
make public until March. This action pre-
cipitated lively discussion in which petu-
lance was expressed that the house should
participate in furnishing information for
the benefit Of spectators. on the other
! hand, there were numerous members who
stated that the substantial interest OF
grower, spinner and merchant made It inn
perative that such information should not
be allowed To he bottled up. There was no
opposition TO the resolution on its passa ge
The discussion Of the railroad rate bill
was taken up and prosecuted with viEor
throughout the day. So many speakers
havc come to the front on this measure
that the house agreed to meet at II O'Clock
hereafter until the debate IS ended. The
feat OF the debate today was the
lengthy speech Of Mr.. sibley Of Pennsyl-
vania, who arraigned the legislation with
arguments Of varied character. all Of which
tended TO give his reasons for being unal-
| terably opposed to the hill.
When he charged that the legislation was
socialisttc in its nature and was a step to-
wards government ownership and the dream
Of Bryan and Hearst Mr.. James OF Ken
lucky asked what the reason was for the
right -about-faCe Of the republican party in
the direction Of the Bryan leadership Il
will gracefully place the responsibility on
my colleagues Of broader shoulders" re-
torted Mr.. Sibley. Mr.. Sibley said he would
advocate larger salaries for the members
OF the Interstate Commerce Commission and
would content himself with voting against
the bill.
3
measure and Mr.. Shackelford Of Missouri,
who advocated the Hearst bill last year,
| gave his reasons for supporting the pres
ent bill. A speech by Mr.. Heiin OF Ala
bama also favoring the bill concluded the
days debate. The house adjourned at 5
/ o'clock to meet at IL o'clock tomorrow.
Mr.. sibIey's Suggestion.
| During his speech Mr.. sibley dictated a
! measure which he said should in ten lines
cure the rebate evil. He would strike out
all the enacting clause in the Hepburn
bill and insert:
! That any corporation which shall give
a secret rate or rebate TO any individual,
firm or corporation rendering to him or
4 them a service on different terms or con-
+ siderations than rendered to any other
shipper under similar conditions constitutes
a crime and that any official employe
who has guilty knowledge OF such prefer
tnCt gwen 10 a EnlppeT sndll Dt TeBdTueO
as party to the crime and that for such
violation OF statute there shall be fine of
not less than $4,000 nor more than 500, ,OoO
and not less than two years in the peni-
tentiary nor more than ten. and that any
firm. individual or corporation, or any
officer, cmploye or individual receiving such
rebate or preferential or having knowledge
thereof shall be equally guilty and punish
able by the infliction of the same penalty
and that one-half the fine exacted by the
government shall go to the informer.
Mr.. French UdaD pronounced himself ir
favor OF the bill and gained privilege tc
| extend his views in the record.
| A resolution was agreed TO at the in
| stance of Chairman Tawrey of the appro-
priations committee calling on the secre-
tary Of the treasury for information a tc
the number of permanent annual appro'
priations which have been made during
the last two years. 1t is stated that there
were go such appropriations. Mr.. Tawney
has bill pending TO abolish all OF then
except such as are necessary because OF
! existing trusts.
The house adjourned at o'clock unit
tomorrow at II o'clock.