The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1906-02-09
GREAT MAJORITY
FOR RATE BILL
Only Seven Votes in the House
Against the Hepburn
Measure.
NO AMENDMENTS AT ALL
Efforts to Alter the Administration eiI,
Prove Fruitlsss-Doliivsr Bill to
Be Reported in Senate
February Is.

enough BUSINESS was allowed IN the
house preceding the vote on the Hep
layed members to reach their seats be-,
fore the roll call began. Three hun
dred and forty-six members voted for
the BILL Seven, all republicans. voted
against it, Applause greeted the an
nouncement of the result by the speak
or Of the house, which had given its
undivided attention to rate making for
several days.
Anticipating the roll call on the rate
bill there was large attendance OF
members and the galleries We're
crowded.
After the roll call the announcement
of the passage of the bill was received
with ripple Of applause.
Speaker Cannon stated the vote to
he 346 yeas and nays. Those voting
against the bill We're all republicans
They were Littlefleld of Maine, Mccall
and Weeks of Massachusetts,. Perkins
SouthWick and Vreeland Of New York.
Il. and Sibley of Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Sullivan OF Massachusetts, voted
present" and was not paired. There
were twenty -eight members paired, but
these pairs were generally political
ones None Of them was made on the
bill, and consequently did not indicate
opposition.
The pension appropriation bill was
taken up in the committee OF the
whole. General debate on the bill Is
limited to three hours. Gardner. of
Michigan, In charge of the BILL took the
floor.
Pension Roll at Its Maximum.
In presenting the pension appro-
priation bill to the house Gardner de-
tailed an interesting array of informa-
ton concerning pensions. Forty years
after the civil war. he says, the pen
sion appropriation is at it's maximum:
There are million pensioners and ALI
but 53,424 Of them from that war. with
an annual roll of $139, 000,0 900. The civil
war has cost s6,OOO.0OO.00O. Up to the
present time, half as much again has
been paid out for pensions.
Gardner predicts that before the end
OF its pension roll comes. the first cost
Of the war will have been equalled. In
twenty years from now he predicts the
pension rolls will contain half mil.
lion names, Of which 1924 will be
chargeable to the Spanish-American
war.
At the present time the pension roll
costs the government just one-fourth
OF all other expenses. Gardner stated
there were more Spanish war veterans
on the rolls than were in Skaters en-
tire army in Cuba.
The necessity of enacting the Dresi-
dents order No. rs into law rs pro-
vided for in the bill. was explained by
Gardner. This order was intended to
work automatically. and to make aga
the only proof of disability. Commis
sioner Warner had found the order in
conflict with the statute provision. and
it was thereby robbed of it's opera
tons. BY eliminating surgeon fees
Gardner estimated that by enacting the
order into law, money would BE- saved
the government and benefit extended tt
the veterans.
The amendment he regarded as g.
virtual service to the pension law. say
ing in time it would place every SOL
dier of the civil war OH the pension roll
at a maximum pension of s12 month,
Provisions Of the Bill.
Washington, Feb. 10.-rhe Hepburr
railroad rate bill. which the national
house Of representatives passed, is, ac-
cording to Mr.; Hepburn's statement, in
tended, and did, so far as it could be
made, comply specifically with recomS
mendations of President Roosevelt on
the rate question. 1t gives the Inter-
state Commerce commission authority
when a rate has been complained of as
unreasonable by shipper, to in
Vesttgate the rate, and If found to bo
unreasonable to name a rate which is
to be just and reasonable and fairly
remunerative, which is to be the max
1mum rate to be charged. This rate so
fixed will go into effect thirty days
dLler IL Is announced Dy the commas
sion, subject during that time to be set
aside or suspended by the commission
or by the courts. After it has gone
into effect it is to remain the rate for
three years.
During this time. the opinion has.
been expressed by those who have par
ticipated in the debate. that rate maH
also be reviewed by the courts, and
if found to be IN conflict either with
the terms Of the act or constitution
by being confiscatory, can be set aside
by the courts.
Another important feature is the def
milton Of the words railroad" and
transportation" in manner to include
all auxiliary instrumentalities of Al
common carrier, and to bring them
within the control of the commission
This power to name reasonable ratea
and the inclusion Of the auxiliaries'
within the Jurisdiction Of the commis-'
sion. are said to be new features. All,
other provisions are notifications of.
the existing law. They include the pub.
licity Of railroad methods, which Is to-,
be aided by prescribing system Of,
bookkeeping and charging the commits
sion to seven members and increasing,
the salaries Of the members to $4,000 q,
year. /,
HANGING FOR HOCH. )