The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-12-16
HOUSE PASSES ~,
YnB ESCH BILL
CONIPELs RAILROADS TO RE-
PORT EVERY MONTH.
The Panama Canal Bill Offered by
Mann, of Illinois, Warmly he
bated Until Adjournment.
THE WHITE SLAVE BILLS UP

washington, Dec. 16.--Sitting un-
til after nightfall, the house passed
the Esch bill requiring railroads to
make full monthly reports to the in
terstate commerce commission of all
accidents, and the measure empower
ing the commission to compel rail-
roads to provide uniform equipment
for cars, then took up the Mann Pa
mama canal bill, on which the gen.
eral debate was not concluded before
adjournment. 3.
Considerable opposition developed
to that section of the Esch bill pro-
nibiting the admission as evidence
or use in action for damages, of re-
ports furnished by the railroads or
the reports OF the commission Of its
Investigations. Chairman Mann OF
the commerce committee. urged that
this remain unamended in order to
encourage the railroads to give the
oorlmission the benefit of their full
est Information of accidents. Sever
al amendments calculated to modify
or destroy this section were de-
feated.
When the Panama canal bill was
reported, its adjustment of the ca
nal commission and Capitalization of
responsibility and authority for the
construction of the canal and the
government canal ozne under the
president, in director general, were
bitterly opposed. II was contended
that congress had no power to dele
gate legislative or judicial authority
to the president. Harrison, of New.
York. charged that Roosevelt as
sumed the role of q dictator" and.
usurped authority in the canal zone
he did not possess. Olmstead, of.
Pennsylvania, insisted that Roosevelt;
had not exceeded his authority.
Mann declared that in the acts of.
congress and in the treaty with Pa
mama would be found justification
for Roseyelt's actions.
That section comforting the judi
cial power of the zone on one circuit
court and such inferior courts as the
president may constitute, was also
attacked. Sterling, of Illinois, en-
deavored TO show that there is work
enough for the three circuit judges
now In the zone.
Consideration of this bill will be
resumed soon after the holiday re-
cess.
During the afternoons debate, an
swering Harrison's question whence
Roosevelt derived the right to gov
ern the canal zone. Mann said:
Il Justify the presidents action
upon the necessity Of this civilization
preventing chaos upon the zone. and
when congress chose not to provide
2 form Of government after the end
of the 5Sth congress by its specific
enactment, think we wrote into the
law without language that we be-
Ilieved the president had the power
to carry on the government and did
not intend that any government
should exist on the zone"
Harrison thereupon denounced the
bill, designating Roosevelt as a"dic-
tator," and 'despot." Madden, Of
Illinois, spoke for the bill, and
Gardner, of Michigan. attacked that
section abolishing the commission,
and argued that while 1t was evi-
IDENTIFY the purpose to continue Col.
Goethals n charge as director gen.
eral, he might die and no other man
as efficient might be available,
whereupon the commission would
be well nigh indispensable.
The power to govern the zone was
vested in the president by the act
Of April 2S, 1904, but that Law
ceased to be effective automatically
with the expiration OF the 5Sth con-
gress. Since then several efforts
have been made to pass similar
law, but none have gotten through
the senate and in the absence of spe-
cific authority other than given him
by the appropriation bills and ex-
rigencies of the situation, the presi-
dent has continued to administer
the affairs on the isthmus.