The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-22
.ELK|NS DEFENDS
Road BILL
West Virginia Senator Explains
Meaning Of Administration
Measure.
GOES INTO THE DETAIL
Admits That Amendments Were
Not Considered in
Committee.
GOES INTO THE DETAIL S
Admits That Amendments Were

|
i Washington, March Blooming /
the defense OF the administration rail-
road bill, IS reported from the senat
Committee on Interstate Commerce
Senator Elkins. its chairman, to-da,
spoke In the Senate in answer to TIL
t tour- DAY attack on the measure b,
| Senator Cummins.
4 Senator Elkins made vigorous re
Spouse to the charges of Senator Cum
Minis that the bill had been essential,
/ framed In New York and had beer
rushed into the Senate from the com
mittee without having amendment.
considered by the committee.
Not Discussed in COMMITTEES.
What happened in the Committee
on Interstate Commerce or who assist.
ed in preparing the bill and the
changes made in 1t from time to time
before 1t was reported to the Senate
said he. sit seems to me is OF no con.
sequence. 1t is true the committee die
not consider at length amendments
proposed to the bill in the committee
II was made plain TO the committee
that there were great many amend.
ments to be discussed, and there were
differences as to many Of these
amendments. and 1t being evident II
would take long time to discuss and
dispose Of them. it was decided to re.
port the bill and let it and,the amend
ments be fought oft on the floor Of the
Senate. thereby saving two or three
weeks time. This was the chief rea-
son for not discussing the voting on
the amendments by the committee be-
fore the bill was reported"
II do not think there can be any
just or fair criticism of the manner
IN which the bill was reported" he
said '.or Of thu action OF the commit
tee in It's consideration
Appeals to Supreme Court.
AR. Elkins said that he. had been of
the opinion that the bill! as reported all
lowed appeals from interlocutory de-
crees to the Supreme Court. but that
he was mistaken AID would now favor
a change accordingly. He said that
the majority of the committee had
under consideration a number OF other
amendments, among them one not to
allow the Interstate Commerce Commits.
sion to have jurisdiction over port-to.
port traffic by water, and one to allow
a shipper to appear by counsel in cases
OF appeal from the Interstate Com
merce Commission to the courts.
.Mr. Elkins said consideration also
was given to the best method of in-
sorting the word approval by the
commission of traffic agreements, in
line with the Republican platform and
the message OF President Taft on
the subject OF amending tho int erstate
commerce laws. lie said that 1t was
difficult to frame this provision OF the
bill so as not to produce confusion in
the operation OF the railroads and the
workings OF the commission.
Hearings by Committee.
M Answering statements by Senator
.Cumnins, made in the course Of his
speech. Mr.. lclklns said that it was
given out to tho public press that the
railroad bill was before the committee
for consideration He said that ship
pers and traffic associations had con-
suited the President and the Attorney
General, who drafted the bill, and that
they favored the Presidents recon.
No shipper or association OF shippers
and no railroad company was denied
an opportunity to be heard by the Sem
ate committee, said Mr.. Elkins, on the
subject of.whether the railroads them.
selyessare for or against the bill, Mr.
Elkins suid:;
Railroads oppoacd.
According to common report, six
pr seven presidents Of the most i'm
portant railroads in the country waitcf1
III the President ut the White House
Ind endeavored to INDUCE him to con-
sent certain changes Rin5the bill. but
le refused to do so. Tho railroad com,
'anies did not appear before tho com,$
nittee, except In one or two instances
Q oppose the bill. So far as / know
md. can hear, the railroads oppose tho
ILL., 5l3 ~
Mr.. Elkins then reviewed the bill|
ectlon by section, conmentlng at
ehg N ! Is many new features.
VlLROI(yNS svIAVOU