Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-21
Admits Amendments Were Not Con.
sidered in Committee.
TOO MUCH TINE NEEDED
Thought Best to Have the Whole
Matter Fought Out on the Floor
of the Senate.

Coming to the defense of the admins
tration railroad bill. as reported from
the Senate committee on intersta; e
commerce, Senator Elkins, it's chair
,nan, today spoke in the Senate in an
swer to the four-day attack on the
measure by Senator Cummins.
Senator Elkins made vigorous re-
Spouse to the charges of Senator Cum
minis that the bill had been essentially
framed in New York and had been
rushed into the Senate from the com :
mittee without having amendments
considered by the committee
Not Discussed in Committee.
What happened in the committee on
preparing the bill and the changes
made in it from time to time before 1t
was reported to the Senate" said he. 1T
seems to me is of no consequence. 1t is
true the committee did not consider at
length amendments proposed to the bill
In the committee. 1t was made plain to
the committee that there were a great
many amendments to be discussed and
there were differences as to many of
these amendments, and it being evl-
dent it would take long time to dis
cided to report the bill and let it and
the amendments be fought out on the
floor of the Senate, thereby saving two
or three weeks time. This was the
chief reason for not discussing tine
voting on the amendments by the COM
mittee before the bill was reported
I do not think there can be any just
or fair criticism of the manner in which
the bill was reported" he said, ''or OF
the action of the committee in its consid-
Grafton
Appeals to Supreme Court.
Mr.. Elkins said that he had been of the
opinion that the bill as reported allowed
appeals from interlocutory DEGREES to the
Supreme Court, but that he was mistaken
and would now favor change according
ly. He said that the majority of the COM
mittee had under consideration number
of other amendments, among them one
not to allow the interstate commerce COM
port traffic by water, and one to allow
shipper to appear by counsel in cases of
appeal from the Interstate commerce CON-
mission to the courts.
Mr. Elkins said consideration also was
given to the best method of inserting 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 amend
ing the interstate commerce laws. He
said that It was difficult to frame this
provision of the bill SOFAS not to produce
confusion in the operation of the rail-
roads and the workings of the commits
sion.
Hearings by Committee.
Answering statements by Senator Cum
minis, made in the course OF his speech.
Mr.. EIkins said that it was given out to
the public press that the railroad bill was
before the committee for consideration.
He said that shippers and traffic associa-
tions had consulted the President and the
Attorney General, who drafted the bill,
and that they favored the Presidents rec
concentrations.
No shipper or association of shippers
and no railroad company was denied an
opportunity to be heard by the Senate
committee. said Mr.. Elkins. On the sub
ject OF whether the railroads themselves
are for or against the bill, Mr.. Elkins
said:
Railroads Opposed.
According to common report, six or
seven presidents Of the most important
railroads in the country waited on the
President at the White House and en-
deavored to induce him to>consent to
certain changes in the bill. but he re-
fused to do so. The railroad companies
did not appear before the committee ex-
cept In one or two instances. to oppose
the bill. So far as l know and can hear
the railroads oppose the BILL
Mr.. Elkins then reviewed the bill Sec
ton by section, commenting at length