Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-11
RAILROAD BILL IS
PASSED BY HOUSE
Taft Expresses Delight When Pet
Measure Passes by Vote
of 200 to 126
Associated Pressl


WASHINGTON, May 10-Without
a single dissenting Republican vote the
house today passed the railroad bill,
one of the chief measures President
Taft wished enacted at the present
session of congress- by 200 to 126. Four
teen Democrats joined the majority.
President Taft said tonight he was
deeply gratified over the passage of the
bill. He was especially pleased with
the comfortable margin by which the
uuIunIerCe court feature was Kept Ill
the measure for he regards this court
as probably the most important step
in the proposed law.
Referring to the clause providing for
the physical valuation of railroads Mr..
Taft pointed out that power now prac-
tically rests with the interstate COM
merce commission, and that the diff
ficulty in carrying out such plan al
ways has been found in the enormous
cost of the undertaking.
When all the amendments adopted
by the house while in committee of
the whole had been Cgreed to Mr.. Ad-
amson of Georgia. senior Democratic
member of the minority of the COM
mittee presenting the bill, moved to
recommit it with instructions that it
be reported back with the commerce
court clause stricken out. This was
defeated, 157 to 176.
BILL ALTERS PRESENT LAW
The bill makes many changes in the
existing law, that if accepted by the
senate, will greatly affect interstate
commerce.
The court of commerce is created to
adjudicate cases on appeal from the
interstate commerce commission.
1t is provided this court shall be or
ganized by the justices of the supreme
court of the United States, future ap-
pointments 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, fiXe the price at
which the securities of the road may
be sold. A similar provision is carried
in respect to railroads organized
through the courts.
A provision is-1nade that upon the
reorganization of a railroad through
court proceedings stocks and bonds
cannot be issued for more than a fair
value of the property.
The long and short haul clause of
the bill provides a railroad cannot,
without first gaining permission,
charge more for a short than long
haul over the same line. The inter-
state commission also is given power,
whenever a new rate is proposed, to
suspend the taking effect of that rate
during the consideration of it's reason
ableness.
AS amended. the bill proposes to
bring the telephone and telegraph COM
panies under the control of the inter-
ic
vides for the valuation of the rail
road property to aid the commission
in the consideration of railroad rates,
and gives to the commission authority
over Classifications, regulations and
practices of railroads.
Under its terms a railroad company
must quote a freight rate accurately
on demand of shipper, and the ship
per is given the right to route his
freight whenever it passes over more
than one railroad.
The commission is authorized to
establish through rates, whereas under
the present law it cannot make a new
through route if such a route is al
ready established.
Severe penalties are provided against
shippers who make false claims for
damages or loss of property.
Champ Clark, leader of the Demo-
cratic minority, explained the Demo-
cratic course in opposing the bill on
final vote. and said
THE Democrats who voted against
the bill did so because they considered
that there were more bad features in
the bill than there were good ones.
When it was first brought into the
house it was railroad bill, pure and
simple. 1t was drawn i'll their inter
ests. Not a railroad lobbyist appeared
in opposition to the bill, which says
more eloquently than many volumes
could do that the railroads were in
favor of this legislation.
Every amendment adopted in the
house helped the bill, but there were
not enough of them.
HAD the court of commerce feature
and some part of sections 10, II and 10
been stricken out l would have voted