Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-03
RATE BILL IN The HOUSE
Further Arguments Advanced on Behalf Of
the Hepburn Measure.
LAND LAWS EXTENDED IN WYOMING
Tract of Land Ceded by Indians is
Made subject of General
Laws of United
states.

house for six hours today. The speeches of
Burton of Ohio Mccall of Massachusetts,
and Russell OF Texas were features. while
Thomas of North Carolina, Burke of South
| Dakota and Goulden of New York took up
particular and specific topics.
Mr.. Burton discussed the broad field of
| proper national ideas and growth OF indus
try, corporation development and traffic in
crease. Mr.. Mccall made an attack on the
bill. opposing its fundamental features and
making, as he knew. a vain effort to have
| the power to regulate the railroad rates ad-
ministered by the courts Point after point
| he made to show what he contended were
the weakness and evil of government rate
/ making, illustrating by records of foreign
countries. Mr.. Russell argued for the meas
ure. He spoke a democrat and gave that
| party credit for sustained effort and for
careful scrutiny in the perfection of the
| measure.
| Mr.. Burke, a member of the committee in
| which the measure originated, explained it's
| details.
! Before proceeding to the consideration of
| the railroad bill today the house passed a
| bill extending the public land laws to a
tract of land ten miles square in Wyoming
ceded to the government in 1897 by the Sho-
| shone and Arapahoe Indians.
| IhOmas opens DEBATE.
Mr.. Thomas On. " opened the discussion
! on the rate bill making an argument in its
! favor.
Mr. Thomas said the bill was in line
with the democratic position, the presi-
dents position. the views Of the Inter
state Commerce commission. commercial
bodies all over the country, including his
own state, and the outgrowth of public
| sentiment.
| Referring to the losses sustained by the
truckers of his district last spring he in
! sisted refrigerator cars should be placed
under the control of the commission.
! MIR. Goulden IN. " gave his reasons for
/ supporting the bill. 1t was the best OF its
! kind ever presented.
| In beginning an hours speech in favor
OF the bill Mr.. Burton (O) dweltl on the
! growth Of the corporations in this coun-
! try. He could remember when this was
not the case, when small enterprises -four
ished Now, the mechanism of steam has
! transformed industry completely that
! the employc is but cog in tremendous
| mechanism.
The same great strides in traffic had also
| taken place. Regulation was demanded by
/ the conditions. The two essential features
of the bill were at first the fixing of a
| of that rate in the courts.
| With 10000 rate schedules related one 10
| the other, he was not sure what the result
| would be nor what the court OF last resort
! would decide However. he did not anticl-
pate revolutionary orders by the commits
| sion nor havoc as the result OF them. The
! difficulties of the policies TO be inaugurated
| such the long and short haul and the
basic point questions Mr. Burton be-
lieved, should be fixed by congress. 1t
| was the failure to exercise such RESPONSE
bility that resulted in the complaints that
the house was losing its power
! AS to rebates he said human ingenuity
| had hardly, If ever, been exercised to eVade
the law, as has been the case since the
passage of the Ellilns act. Discrimina ton
between individuals, he maintained, could
and should be stopped. The discrimination
between politics was a different problem in
which many elements entered and which
it may never be possible to overcome.
Seek for Real Evil.
! IF We seek for the real evil" said NIr
! Burton, we must look to the ideals of the
people, We have had sckenng examples
of dishonesty in high places" he added.
| Success. he said. and the admiration for
great wealth breaks down the line be-
! tween honesty and dishonesty Legislation
could DO much to correct these evils of
dishonesty. Publicity was one step; to
cease cOndoning great offenses was another;
| to provide equality of opportunity, the
third. To make it plain that no corruption
| was great that it was above the law.
was. he said, duty of congress- and this
should not be confined to railways Mr..
Burton concluded with the statement that
the present bill was a step In the right direc-
ton and he hoped that year by year others
might be taken.
Throughout Mr.. Burton commanded the
close attention OF members and received
applause and congratulations on his con-
! cluSion.
Mr.. Burke IS D. followed, having been
yielded an hour. He favored the bill and
reviewed the legislative status of rate
regulation laws.
| Mr.. Burke emphasized the necessity of
defeating all amendments that may be pro-
posed to the bill and have it pass the house
by the largest vote possible To do this
| meant a generally good effect both in the
| house and the senate. When Mr.. Burke
concluded Mr.. Mccall took the floor I'm on
position TO the bill. He was followed by
Mr.. Russell OF Texas
| STATEHOOD BILL IN THE SENATE