Omaha daily bee., 1910-06-15
Conferees in Long Session to Har-
monize Differences.
MAY BE ADOPTED DURING DAY,
Effort Made to Pass Measure in SEN
ate and House.
FOUR MONTHS OF ACTUAL WORK
Mater Under Continuous COnsidera-
ton with Long Debate over Rates,
Long ana short HauIs ana
Commerce Court.

WASHINGTON, June 1.-THE conference
report on the railroad administration bill
was presented to the senate at 1880 O'Clock
today by Chairman Elxins Of the senate
committee ON interstate commerce 1t
was laid before the house late in the day.
but, under the rules, cannot be acted
upon by the house until disposed of by the
senate.
1t represented one weeks work bv
conferees of the senate and house in
an effort to harmonize the differences In
the bills passed by the two branches, and
nearly four months continuous consider
alton in one or the other. At the re-
quest OF several senators, the report went
over until tomorrow when an effort will
be made to procure it's adoption. The two
democratic conferees did not sign the re-
port, and Senator Newands gave notice
today that he would present a minority
report.
Generally speaking the finished work
of the conferees is declared to be salts
FACTORY to the senate, although in large
part 1t follows the lines or the house bill
A number of the amendments secured bv
'msurgent republican senator's how
ever were retained by the conferees So
far as has been indicated the only OH
lection which may be raised In the sonata
to the adoption of the report relates IN
the action of the conferees in adoptInp ths
house provision on the subject of Iona
and short haus.
Some OF the western senators favored tb,
retention of the senate provision on the
ground that the house amendment might
oe construed by the courts to be uncon.
stltutional. They were disposed to register
tehr protest in brief speeches in which
thew UoI1ld
the house provisions IL its constitutlonaIItv
were assured
They were not inclined to delav actior
on the report longer than would he re
quired to state their positions. The lasi
amendment disposed of. by .the conferses
was that relating to the period for wnioh
increases In rates might be suspended by
the commission. The conferees accepted
the senate provision OF ten months.
AS finally perfected by the conferees, the
| Dill carries most of the features OF tha
original administration measure. excent tbs
sections to permit railroads to make pool-
! ing agreements, TO authorize the govern
ment to regulate the issuance of stocks ana
bonds and to permit railroads to purchase
the remaining stock of another line In
Whlch IL already controls 80 per cent In the
| line.
| NPFO9'NiOi uSNclopeu IN DOth
| houses against the provisions that all ex-
cept the securities section were abandoned
outright The house bill retained the sec
tion providing for federal regulation of the
| securities OF railroads. but II was obiec-
uonable TO the senate chiefly because of it's
inability to meet the opposition Of demo-
Gratis who were determined to fight against
| It's adoption.
In the place Of the house provision the
conferees incorporated a provision author
lzing the president to appoint commits
sion to investigate questions pertaining to
the Issuance of stocks and bonds by rail-
roads Expenditures by the commission are
limited to $4,000, and 1t was not given au
thority to summon witnesses. or to compel
the production of books and papers.