The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-06-23
..LAF0LLETTE SAYS
INSURGENTS MADE
OVER RATE BILL
Only Four
Good Points i'm 1t as
introduced.
MANY AMENDMENTS
MANY ENDMENTS

lVll1lNl ANVIL lNDlvlIl IN
Fourteen Changes, Making
Bill More Radical, Claimed
by Insurgents.
Washington, D.. C.-The senate
late yesterday placed the final stamp
of approval on the. administration
railroad bill by adopting the confer
nee report by a vote of SO to IL.
All negative votes were cast by
the democrats, Chamberlain, Clay.
McEniry. Simmons, Stone and Tay-
lor uniting with the republicans in
support of the bill.
Just before the vote was taken,
Stone ELECTED a statement from Ell
kins to the effect that no agreement
had been entered into between the
republican leaders and democratic
senator's, looking to the elimination
of the capitalization provisions Of
the bill. Stone said he had heard
that a bargain had been made.
NoSuAAA6IOA, ~. Ss"0OAdLOI La.
Toilette wishes the public to
understand that the railroad
bill agreed on by the senate and house
conferees is not the administration
or Wickersham bill, but a bill for
for which the insurgents in congress
are responsible.
The administration bill sent to
congress some -four months ago, ac-
cording to the view of the insurgents,
contained only four provisions thai.
could be construed as comforting any
benefit on the public.
Senator La Toilette says the pro-
visions were:
1. 1t authorized the interstate
commerce commission to control
c~lassifications and issue orders based
on Investigations made on its own
initiative.
@. 1t authorized the commission
to establish thorough rates and au-
thorized the shipper to route his
shipments.
3. 1T provided penalties for inco
rect statements of rates by the rail-
road company.
4. 1t authorized the commission
to suspend a proposed new rate for
a period of sixty days.
the ftallEOUuS.
According to the insurgents the or
iginal bill contained no fewer than
twelve provisions comforting favors
on the railroads.
These provisions are summarized
as follows by the insurgents.
1. 1t expressly denied the inter-
state commerce commission any right
to appear in the court of commerce
or the supreme court to defend it's
orders.
i 2. 1t created a court of commerce,
open to the railroads, to enjoin the
orders of the interstate commerce
commission and 1t denied the pub
lice admission to that court on me
same terms.
8. 1T attempted to create in tie
commerce court the power to review
and set aside the findings of the
commission on grounds other than
those involving jurisdiction and on
stitutional question.
A.. 1t provided for no appeal for
an i~nterlocutory order or decree by
the court of commerce granting or
continuing an injunction restraining
the enforcement of orders of the
commission
And Without Notice.
5. 1t provided that a judge of the
court IF commerce on an exparte
showing, and without any notice
whatever to the commission, could
issue a temporary injunction restrain
ing the commissions orders reduc-
ing rates.
6. 1t denied to shippers, communi-
ties, associations, etc., interested in
defending orders of the commission
made in their behalf, any right to
appear on appeal.
z. 1t ousted the interstate COM
merce commission as the party inter-
est on all appeals from its orders, and
substituted the United states, giving
the attorney general exclusive on
troll of all appeals, with authority to
prosecute or discontinue at it's pleas
ure.
s.. 1t gave the railroads the priv
lege of appearing before the court of
commerce with a prepared case, Sc
curing in advance a decree as to
whether proposed action was unlaw-
full.
Provided for Stock Watering.
8. 1t proposed to legalize agree
ments between railroads., to fix rates
and classifications, giving the COM
mission no authority whatever in re-
spect to such agreements, thus annul-
ling the antitrust law as to railroads.
10. 1t proposed to legalize and
provide for the consolidation Of
railroads.
IL. 1t COVE legislative sanction to
all existing railroad capitalization,
and provided, according to the insur-
gents, various schemes of stock wa
tering through l%egalizing mergers and
financial operations. .a
IL. It perpetuated the power Of
the railroads to increase and inforce