The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1910-05-13
R. R. BILL IS PASSED
ONLY DOZEN VOTE AGAINST
MEASURE ON FINAL
RECORD.
REPUBLICANS TOGETHER ONCE
Large Majority Of 200 to 1876 Is Given
Taft Proposition - Strength in
Senate Is Seen Through
This Result.

Der of the insurgent Republicans who
have voted throughout the considera~
ton of the railroad bill in the house
against the policy of the administra-
ton, weakened on the final record
votes and the real test of whether
President Taft's plan for commerce
court shall be adopted showed only
dozen out of about 80 insurgents,
voting against the presidents plan.
These dozen insurgents were confined
almost wholly to the Northwest, Wis
consin, Minnesota and Iowa furnish
ing the greater number of them. In
the list were Representatives Davis
and Lindbergh of Minnesota, Gronna
of North Dakota and Nelson and Len
root of Wisconsin.
When it was discovered that the
backbone of the insurgent-De Democratic
opposition to the bill had been broken,
the measure was carried through the
house by the majority of 200 to 126.
This disclosed the first instance, in
the votes of the house upon any i'm
portant public measure in the present
congress, when the Republicans have
voted unitedly. In addition to the
solid Republican vote, ten Democrats
voted to pass the bill in the form fin.
ally agreed upon.
This result is accepted as meaning
the Strengthening of the administra-
ton railroad bill in the senate. The
commerce court provision, and the
house plan for the rates on long and
short hauls being so acceptable to a
majority of the Republicans in the
senate, it is believed the insurgent op-
position in that body will not be able
features of the bill
Makes Many Changes.
The bill makes many changes in
the existing law that if accepted by
the senate, will greatly affect inter-
state commerce. The court of COM
merce is created to adjudicate cases
on appeal from the interstate COM
merce commission. 1t is provided that
this court shall be organized by the
justices of the supreme court of the
United States, future appointments to
membership on the court to be made
by them.
Stock and bond issues of railroads
are controlled by the bill. Under this
clause railroad, before issuing any
additional stock, must obtain an order
from the commission which must,
among other things, fix the price at
which the securities of the road may
be sold. A similar provision is carried
in respect to railroads which are or
ganized through the courts. A provi-
sion is made that, upon the re-organi-
zation of railroad through court pro-
ceedings, stocks and bonds cannot be
issued for more than a fair value of
the property.
The long and short haul clause of
the measure provides that a railroad
cannot, without first gaining permits
sion, charge more for short than for
a long haul over the same line The
interstate commerce commission also
is given authority, whenever new
rate is proposed, to suspend the rate
for a period of four months so that
the commission shall have an oppor-
tunity to consider it's reasonableness.
The bill gives to the commission au-
thority over classifications, regulations
and practices of railways, it's author
ity at the present being limited to
rates and matters affecting rates.
Under it's terms railroad company
frniOhf fn1 W
upon demand of shipper and the
shipper Isl given the right to route
his freight whenever it passes over
more than one railroad. The commits
sion itself is authorized to establish
through routes by combining different
railroad systems at its discretion,
whereas, under the present law, it can
not make new through rate if such
route is already established.
Severe penalties are provided
against shippers who, through false
claims for damages or loss of property,
obtain secret rebates.
The house passed several resolu.
tons calling for identity of the real
purchasers of the Philippine friar
lands and adopted the conference re-
port on the bill to create the bureau
of mines and adopted mining which
now goes to the president for approx
al.
Towards the close of the session a
resolution authorizing an investigation
into alleged abuses of the Thanking
privilege was adopted.