Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1910-06-17
COnterees Get Together on the
Railroad Measure.
ITS PROVISIONS IN DETAIL
As Completed 1t Contains Many
Features of House Bill.

Washington, June 15.-The confer
ence report on the administration rail-
road bill was presented to the senate
by Chairman Elkins of the senate
committee on interstate commerce. 1t
was also laid before the house, but
under the rules it cannot be acted up
on by the house until disposed of by
the senate. 1t represented one weeks
work by conferees of the senate and
house in an effort to harmonic the
differences in the bills passed by the
two branches of congress and nearly
four months continuous consideration
in one or the other of the two
branches of congress. At the request
of several senators the report went
over for day, when an effort will be
made to procure it's adoption. The
two Democratic conferees did not
sign the report and Senator Newlands
gave notice that he would present
minority report.
Generally speaking, the finished
work of the conferees is declared to
be satisfactory to the senate, although
in large part it follows the lines of the
house bill. A number of the amend
ments secured by progressive Repub-
lican senators, however, were retained
by the conferees. So far as has been
indicated, the only objection which
may be raised in the senate to the
adoption of the report relates to the
action of the conferees in adopting the
house provision on the subject of long
and short hauls.
Some of the Western senators IA
vored the retention of the senate pro-
vision on the grounds that the house
amendment might be construed by the
courts to be unconstitutional.
The last amendment disposed of by
the conferees was that relating to the
period for which increases in rates
might be suspended by the commits
sion. The conferees accepted the SEN
ate provision of ten months.
The bill carries most of the features
of the original administration measure
except the sections to permit railroads
to make pooling agreements, to au-
thorize the government to regulate the
issuance Of stocks and bonds and to
permit railroad to purchase the re-
naming stock of another line in which
it already controls so per cent Of the
stock. So much opposition developed
in both houses against these provisions
that all except the securities section
were abandoned outright.
To Regulate Stock Issues.
In the place of the house provision
the conferees incorporated provision
authorizing the president to appoint
commission to investigate questions
pertaining to the issuance of stocks
and bonds by railroads. Expenditures
by the commission are limited to $685.
900 and it was not given authority to
summon witnesses or to compel the
production OF books apd papers.
The bill as perfected, therefore, and
as likely to become law, would create
a commerce court composed of five
judges, the first of whom is to be Sc
lected by the president and the others
by the chief justice of the supreme
court This court will have jurisdic-
ton over all suits brought to enforce
or set aside orders of the interstate
commerce commission.
Other sections would enlarge the
power of the commission over rail
road regulations and practices and
placed under the jurisdiction of the
commission telegraph, telephone and
cable companies, whether wire or
wireless, and would broaden the scope
of the word railroad so as to extend
the jurisdiction of the commission
over bridges, ferries and terminal IA
cilities.
General provisions are made affect
ing railroads to compel them to fur
nish rates upon application and to au-
thorize the commission 20 institute in
quiries on it's own motion. BY pro-
visions adopted by the house and re-
tanned by the conferees the scope of
the commission to make regulations
was enlarged. 1t is also provided that
a consignor of freight shall have the
right to designate by which of two or
more through routes his property
shall be transported to its destination.