The National tribune., 1906-06-07


mittee Of the two Houses on the Haff-
way-rate bill was submitted to the Sem
ate by Senator Tiliman just before adj
journment last Saturday afternoon. 49,.
True to its traditions to the very end,
the bill came from conference more
stringent than 1t went in. At every
stage Of its career this has been its ex-
perience. The men who started by maxi
ing 1t, for the House Committee, as mild
as possible so 1t would stand some
chance in the Senate" would hardly
have recognized their own child when
the Senate had reorganized it's features.
And the Senators who were frightened
at their own radicalism received anoth-
er shock when they learned that the
conferees had still further added to the
stringency of Its provisions.
Succinctly stated, the main features
Of the bill as 1t now stands are:
Abolishes all Interstate free passes
after Jan. /.
Places pipelines under the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
Divorces production from carrying Of
commodities.
Prohibits rebating and discriminating
under penalties that include heavy fines
and two years imprisonment.
Gives the Commission power to fix
maximum reasonable rates"
Gives power to establish joint routes
and to provide the basis Of division of
the charge.
Gives the Government prior use Of
roads in war.
Requires five days notice and hear
ing before court can suspend rate.
Requires appeal to be taken within
80 days and direct to the Supreme
Court.
Provides the utmost publicity as to
the details of railroad business.
Gives Commission power to establish
uniform bookkeeping and accounting
methods
Increases the Commission from five
to seven members, retains the present
members and raises the salary from
$500 to $4,000 year.
Radicalism won at almost every point
in conference The anti-pass provision
that is written into the measure is the
most stringent, probably, that ever was
adopted in this country. 1t reads:
mo carrier subject to the provisions
of this act shall, after Jan. 1. 1907. d.
rectly or indirectly, issue or give any
Interstate free ticket. free pass or free
violating this provision shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor,, and shall. up
on conviction thereof be punished by a
fine of not exceeding $1,000; and any
person who uses so,icits or accepts for
himself or for any other any such In
terstate free ticket. free pass or free
transportation shall be deemed guilty
of misdemeanor, and upon conviction
thereof be subject to like penalty"
This provision contains no exceptions
1t Is declared by the lawyers to prevent
a railroad company issuing free trans
portation to its employees. Without
doubt 1t prevents free passes for fami-
lies OF employees or for those heretofore
privileged classes. such as local attor-
neys, surgeons, ETC., who raised such a
protest when the measure was first in
serted by the Senate. Officials Of rail-
way employers organizations are barred
from transportation. One railroad COM
pany may not exchange passes for It's
officials with another company. Sub
jects of charity. politicians, statesmen
everybody is barred.
The Senate won on nearly every
point, having receded from but four or.
HVe amendments. F@ y.
The committee reconstructed and
transposed the oil pipeline amendment
added by the Senate, and it now reads:
"All persons or corporations engaged
I'm the transportation of oil by pipe
lines. or partly by pipeline and partly
by railroad. or partly by pipeline and
partly by water" are declared common
carriers.
Senator Elkins, Chairman of the Sem
ate Committee on Interstate Commerce,
gained point by having inserted in the
bill provision that common carriers be
required. upon application of any Tat
eral or branch line of railroad" to con-
struct switches. spurs and other neces-
sary facilities to afford such lines free
access to trunk lines. This amendment
was proposed by Mr.. Elkns in the Sem
ate and rejected, and question was
raised by Senators who learned Of the
change made by the conferees as to
whether the new provision was not new
legislation and beyond the authority of
the conferees.
Senator Tillman, after a vigorous
yiSiueu TIE socEdte dIHenuInenI re-
lating to the Jim Crow" car lines This
amendment, which was known as the
Foraker-Warner amendment. made it
the duty of Interstate carriers ito give
equally good service and accommoda-
tons to all persons paying the same
compensation" 1t was designed to COM
pei the Interstate railroads In the South
ern States to give as good accommoda-
tons on the "Jim Crow" cars provided
for colored passengers as were given to
the white passengers. Senator Foraker
first offered it, and then withdrew Ii, but
Senator Warner, Of Missouri. renewed
ii.
The negroes OF the Northern States
entered protest against 1T because they
contended 1T gave official recognition In
the words equal accommodations" to
the Jim Crow" car idea, and, accord
Ing to their view, invited general dis
elimination between white and colored
in the Northern and Western States.
The Southern Senator'S made no opposi-
ton to it, but when the protests from