The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-02-06
.L|TTLEFIELD SAYS
BILL is TOO LURID
Rate Measure Too Drastic in
Its Provisions
GR0SVENOR FINDS FAULT
Mr.. Underwood Favors the Bill on the
Ground That the Time Is Coming
When Competition viii No
Longer Regulate Rates.
GROSVENOR FINDS FAULT

washington, February 5.-Considerable
fault was found with the railroad rate
bill in the House today considering the
fact that it is a measure of both parties.
Mr.. Iittlefield of Maine opened the day
with a whirwind speech in which he
pointed out the drastic and far reaching
effect Of its provisions The committee
he said had gone much farther than the
President had recommended and much
farther than he was willing to go. He
would not vote for the bill.
Mr.. Grosvenor of Ohio ridiculed the
alleged popular demand for the legisla-
ton, picked flaws in the construction OF
the bill, complained because no amend
ments were allowed, and concluded with
the statement that he should do his best
to get the bill out of the House at the
earliest possible moment, which was TAX
en- to mean that he would vote for it.
Ten other speeches were made, all OF
them by members who will vote for the
bill, but some of whom would like oppor-
tunity to amend the measure.
Mr.. Gains of Tennessee has an anti-pass
amendment which he will bring forward
at the proper time.
At the conclusion of the day Mr.. Hep
burn. in charge of the measure, said 1t
looked now as though debate would con-
clude at o'clock Wednesday. The read
ing of the bill will begin at once and ne
is of the opinion that it can be concluded
all proposed amendments disposed Of and
the bill passed that day before adjourn
ment.
Pictures Are Too lurld.
Mr.. Iittlefield believed the pictures or
distress on the rate question went en-
tirelv too lurid. The railroads undoubt-
edlv had made mistakes, but conditions
we're not intolerable. On the other hahu
he said the Interstate commerce comms-
sion had made many plumbers. The pro-
posed legislation he believed went TOO
far and ne should vote against 1t. lie
had been willing to go as far as the Pres
ident had recommended In 1904 and l9oo'
Not a member of the House, he MAIN
tanned. could say what is reasonable
rate. There is not a single case In any
court record or any rule on which rea-
sonable rate could be defined.
This was one of the great and ire
mendous difficulties the bill presented ana
indicated the vast and arbitrary power
that was to be vested in political trip-
unal. In the zeal with which political
parties were running a legislative race,
they had gone far beyond the President
desires First, the bill in his opinion con-
fers on the committee the power to orig
mate rates; second, the bill provides no
court of revenue; third, the most import
ant of all, the bill puts into the hands
of the commission the power to say
whether or not it shall eliminate the pre-
ferentiaI rate that exists from one end
of the land to the other and is intermin-
gled with all business.
f. Remedy Exists in Courts.
A remedy for nine-tenths of the rate
evils he said, now exists in all courts
both under present law and common law
Under the proposed bill a curious and In
congruous condition was prepared. When
the commission determined whether
rate was reasonable 1t was acting in
judicial capacity; when it prescribed a
rate for the future it would be legislating
and when 1t administered this finding 1t
acted in an executive capacity. This was
a combination of three functions of gov
ernment-executive legislative and judi
cial-in one single body
Mr.. Littlef1eld collated judicial decisions
to support his contention that in giving
the commission all these powers the