Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-14

MI ASHINGTON, May 13.-By A
wv sudden welding late today of
supposedly irreconcilable fac
tions the senate by a vote of 56 to 10,
adopted a compromise amendment to
the railroad bin for the regulation of
relative charges for long and short
hauls.
The agreement was reached chiefly
because each faction apparently
thought it was getting the better of
shrewdly driven bargain. Some
senators tonight suggest the supreme
court may have to arbitrate the ques-
ton as to which factions judgment is
correct.
Before adjournment Senator Bacon
sought to show that Senator Aldrich.
leader of the forces in charge of the
bill, had voted for a revision different
from that which he had advocated
during the long debate on this ques-
ton. Bailey remarked that Mr.. Bacon
was mistaken and was quoting from
his Bailey' 's)remarks.
81 hope the senator from Texas will
not interfere" said Mr.. Aldrich, laugh
ingly; "the senator is trying to justify
his action in voting with me-
"That is the time L usually justify
my vote" retorted Mr.. Bacon.
While upbraiding regular Republicans
front Mr.. Bacon was interrupted by
Senator Atkins, whose ruddy face was
wreathed in smiles as he asked:
"Well you're happy, aren't you?"
This sally plainly iritated the Geor-
gan senator, for he retorted rather
sharply that it took "a very little thing
to make some people happy"
maybe the senator will find that it
is a big thing" said Senator Atkins,
be1niOp across fba chamber
Significant glances passed between
senators on the floor, and people in the
galleries began to suspect that the COM
promise just effected meant something
different than appeared on it's face.
SECTION FOUR AS AMENDED
As adopted, the new provision strikes
out of section 4 of the interstate COM
merce law the words "under substan-
TALLY similar circumstances and condi-
tions," and also eliminates the proviso
of that section and amends the section
so as to make it read as follows:
Section 4-That it shall be unlawful
for any common carrier subject to the
provisions of this act to charge or re-
ceive any greater compensation in the
aggregate for the transportation of
passengers, or any like kind of prop
erty, for a shorter than for longer
distance over the same line or route
ing included within the @onger distance,
or to charge any greater compensation
as through route than the aggregate
of the local rates; but this shall not
be construed as authorizing any COM
mon carrier within the terms of this
act to charge or receive as great COM
pensation from a shorter as from q
longer distance.
"Provided. however, that the inter-
state commerce commission may from
it's knowledge, or from information
upon application, ascertain that the
circumstances and conditions of the
longer haul are dissimilar to the cir
cumstances and conditions of the
shorter haul, whether they result from
competition by water or rail, then it
may authorize a common carrier to
charge less for the longer than for the
shorter distance for the transportation
of passengers or property; but in no
event shall the authority be granted
unless the commission is satisfied that
all the rates involved are just and rea-
sonable and not unjustly discrimina-
tory or unduly preferential nor preJu-
dicial.
"And provide, further: That no rates
or charges lawfully existing at the
time of the passage of this mandatory
act shall be required to be changed by
reason of the provisions of this section
prior to the expiration of six months
after the passage of this act, nor in
any case where application shall have
been filed before the commission in ac-
cordance with the provisions of this
section. pending a determination of
such application by the commission"
OF the fifty-siX votes for the amend
ment. twenty-five were given by Re-
publican senator's who had opposed the
insertion of any long and short haul
provision in the railroad bill; thirteen
by Dmocrats and the rest by Repub-
licans, chiefly insurgents.
The negative vote was equally di-
vided between Republicans and DEM
ocratS.