The San Francisco call., 1910-03-14
HOUSE TO AMEND
RAILROAD BILL
Many Administration Theories
Shattered and Assaults to
Continue on the Floor
Presidential Message May Be
Required TO InstiII Life in
Other Measures

WASHINGTON. March l3.---Although
Identical. when fntroduceds in the two
houses OF congress, il is now evident
that the measures TO create d court of
commerce and to amend the interstate
commerce law viii bear no resem-
blance TO each other when the delib-
erations Of the two bodies are con-
cluded.
In the house committee many of the
administration theories on the issuing
Of stocks and bonds and the merging
Of noncompeting lines have been shat
tered and the end is not in sight, for
assaults on the bill viii continue on
the floor.
While the opposition TO the admin
istration bill was not strong enough
toe amend il in the senate, il is con-
ceded that several important changes
TiI be forced on the floor. The de-
bate on the bin win begin either to-
morrow or Tuesday. Senator Cum
minis viii open the discussion in sup
port Of certain charges advocated in
the minority report Of the senate COM
mittee.
REPORT BILL THIS WEEK
An effort viii be made by the house
committee on interstate commerce TO
report the bill this week.
Regardless of the fact that the
postal savings bank bill. the anti
Injunction measure. statehood legisla-
tion and the administration conserva--
tion measures are all part of the
administration program. there is not
apparent anywhere a positive force
pushing them for consideration. If the
debate on the railroad bin lags it may
require a presidential message TO in
still life into the other features Of the
program.
In the house many matters are pend
ing that viii call out sharp debate and
there is q disposition TO let some OF
them go by the board. These include
the MondeI bill. to permit the home
stead entry of the surface of coal lands
which would involve 30,Oo0.ooo acres;
ship subsidy; the construction of two
battleships. which may be feature
of the naval bill. and the issuance of
certificates Of Indebtedness or bonds
10 the amount OF S30.0O0.000 TO COM
plete reclamation projects.
FIND TASK DIFFICULT
Senators from public lands states,
who were appointed a special commit
tee 10 prepare conservation bills that
would harmonize with the laws, are
finding their task far from easy.
the central theory of conservation
Senator's Clark and Hughes. however.
are anita gonistic TO the proposed change
Of the public land policy.
The testimony before the BallinSer-
Pinchot committee has disclosed that
the general land Office, the forest serv-
ice the reclamation service and the
geological survey are not operating In
sympathy, and this makes the work of
the committee more difficult. IL is their
opinion that if the classification and
ne withdrawal bill can be passed the
-sv win be easy for other measures
-r.ich look to the disposal Of the lands
under the classification bill.
The principal obstacles in the way to
an agreement on the classification bill
are found in the provisions relating TO
oil lands and water power sites This
bill authorizes the secretary of the in
terror TO classify all the public lands.
The withdrawal bill is giving the
committee almost as much concern as
the classification bill. nding
il is now on the senate calendar. Fa-
vorable action on that measure is really
necessary before the classification law
could be carried into effect.
INCREASES PRESIDENTS POWER
Its language is so broad that it
authorizes the president to withdraw
practically all the public land at his
discretion. The measure specifies the
purposes for which the lands may be
reserved as forestry. water power
sites. irrigation, classification of lands
or other public purposes"
There viii be no effort to pass this
bill until the terms OF the classification
bill are agreed to. and the two bills
puobably viii be considered consecu-
lively
Declaring that the Mccall bill for the
publicity Of campaign contributions
and expenditures has been reported out
of the house committee on elections
only by the persistent efforts of the
democratic members of that committee,
and that "the republican leaders of the
house have yet 10 demonstrate that
they do not intend TO prevent the en-
sctment Of campaign publicity law,
as they did in the last congress" Perry
Belmont of New York, president of the
national publicity law organization. to-
day sent a telegram to Governor Har-
mon of Ohio thanking the governor and
other prominent men for their assist
ance.
Belmont expressed satisfaction over
the favorable action taken yesterday
in the house committee. and announced
that he would continue his efforts to
get the Mccall bill through congress.
The bill has not yet been presented
in the senate but ii is expected il will
be sumbitted within a few days