The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-05-10
Powerful Rate Statute Wrung
from Upper House by Pub
lie Sentiment. 4.t
REVOLUTION WILL BE
WROUGHT BY NEW Low
Measure Will Go Even Further
than the President Had
y Expected.
Rv w w. Jermane.

BY W. W. JSFIIatiSs
Washington. May 10.-The house rate
bill as the senate will pass 1t, conSlderea
in connection with the various collateral,
h,,t exceedingly important amendments
which the senate is making, 1t Is pc
lieved here, will make a statute Whlcn
will 90 much farther than even Inc
president originally had hoped would De
possible in the direction OF correcting
abuses. "
From it's original position Of stubborn |
onposition to all rate legislation, ana |
The statement that the existing laws
were sufficient, if enforced, the senate, |
under the pressure of public opinion
and the stress of political necessity, IS
perfecting bill which is more radieal
In character than anyoony n no rsI
months ago believed 1t would pe posSA
BILE to secure
AS whole. it is claimed that the new
law will amount to- revolution SO ,1 1at
as railroad matters are concerned. me
right Of the government TO Iegui anS
under that assertion long steps Will pe
taken toward proper protection OF the
rights of the shippers everywhere.
With a law of this character, and
something done for free alcohol, Sena-
tor Aldrich is perhaps correct IN ms
will have no serious difficulty in con-
trolling the next congress, notW1tn-
standing the party's standpat attitude
regarding the tariff.
McLaurin Amendment Passes
The McLaurin amendment to the rate
bill, adopted yesterday by the senate, IS
= less drastic than the original amend
ment introduced by Senator Elkins. II
does not prohibit railways from manu-
y Featuring various commodities in inter
state commerce. The Elklns original
amendment forbade roads thus e9ig g aeel
In producing from participating IN any
way in interstate commerce. .
The senate spent the greater part OF
fhe afternoon in trying to suntangie the
parliamentary mesh Of the two previous
DAYS. This was finally happily accom-,
,plished, after much waste of words and
procedure, and then the work Of per-
fecting the Elkins amendment was be-
The first hint in the senate that the
Elkins amendment was perhaps TOO FAR
reaching, was given by Senator Tillman,
who pointed out that great sections OF
the country had been opened up to set
Element by the construction Of railways
built originally for the purpose OF get
ting lumber, coal, iron or some other
raw product to market. To forbid roads
thus engaged from engaging IN any
form of Interstate commerce, in his
opinion, might work great hardship
upon innocent parties and retard tht
commerce Of certain sections OF the
country in an unwarranted manner.
Hits Minnesota Interests.
He realized something Of the iniquit,
Of the coal trust in West Virginia am
Pennsylvania, with the resulting higl
prices to consumers and the complet
monopoly established, but he :Woul
rather 90 not quite far enough in tn
proposed legislation than to go too fal
This was the view Thleh the ne entaTe ser
substitute. % .
Should this substitute remain in tn
bill, it will directly affect the iron or
roads Of Minnesota, whose eastern te7
minus is Duluth. These railroads, wh1c
own and operate the iron mines or, rati
er, both mines and railroads are owne
by the steel trust, have escaped tt
Warehouse commission on the grrour
that their business was entirely int
state, and therefore not subject to tt
control of the state board.
Evasion Is Possible.
The McLaurin amendment. 1t is sa
bv well-posted members OF the MINI
sofa delegation, will compe! either tho
ore roads or the iron mines to pa
from the ownership of the steel tru'
The effect of the amendment will be
forbid these roads from being own
and operated by the same interes
which own and operate the mines.
It raised the question whether
would not be possible for the law to
evaded by means Of holding coal CO
. panies, similar to the old Northern
curities company, and was INFORM
that such evasion would perhaps be p,
c;bla hut that it would be attended
difficulties.
It will be competent for the gove1
ment, under the terms Of the pendl
bill and recent decisions of the supre1
court in each proceeding, to establish
fact that this holding company is
evasion and compel the evading co
pany to produce its stockbooks and o
er records showing ownership. The
records in almost every case, it is SO
will sustain the governments cont
ton. It will therefore be necessary
such corporation as that owaing and
Grating the Minnesota ore roads 8
iron mines to devise some other metl
Of procedure.
Makes Defense Plague.
a good deal Of this is being m;
here Of the contention Of the ore ros
that their business was all intersts
That contention will now come back
plague them, providing the pending
becomes a law.
The probability is very great that
t{S house will assent to all the amendme
that have thus far been made to
bill in the senate. These amendme
At will be observed, are all in the nat
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