Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-06-13

the administration railroad bill were
in session more than six hours today
and made such progress as led them
to predict that they will be able to re-
port to Congress early this week.
probably not later than Wednesday,
In the tentative draft which has been
made I'D from the bills as they were
uassed by the House and Senate, the
only two questions that remain in Sc
rious dispute are those relating to
long and short hauls and the period
which incre asses in rates should be sus-
pended TO give the Interstate Commerce
commission time to pass upon their
rraSorablenesS.
With an agreement on the railroad
hill in sight, the members of Congress
are beginning to figure or ADJOURN
ment. Few members of either branch
row expect the session to last longer
than Thursday. June 30, and not few
guess as early as June %, which Is
SATURDAY. Some of the employees on the
committees on appropriations have
consulted their records and nave
consulted their records and have found
that the long sessions usually adjourn
in about Il days after the reporting
of the grea: supply measures, TO this
calculation was due in large part the
predictions that the session would end
on the last day of next week.
There are not many matters OF leg
siation remaining which are expected
TO consume much time. A canvass OF
the Senate indicated decided senti-
ment in favor of adopting the House
amendments to the postal savings
bank bill. This course would avoid
conference and might easily save two
or three days. The sundry civil bill
probably will be passed by the Senate
tomorrow and the genera deficiency
never is held up long in the Senate.
The bill to authorize the President to
withdraw public lands for conserVa-
ton purposes is the only one OF the
conservation measures slated to go
through this session. To that Will be
added it is expected, the bill which has
already passed the Senate to permit
the issuance OF certificates OF indebted
ness to the amount of $50, 10000 to
complete reclamation projects. 1t ought
not to require more than a week to
complete this bill.
No decision has been reached as to
statehood legislation but the general
impression seems to be that nothing
viii lie dove At the present session.
The railroad bill. therefore, appears
to be the key tc the adjournment Situa
ton Just as il has been for nearly four
months. When that is out of the way
and the measure has been approved by
President Taft members of Congress
can lay their plans tn go home and not
before.
Whether the conference report to be
brought out during the week Will be
of a character that the two branches
of Congress would be ready to accept,
remains to be seen. Unquestionably it
will contain many diSlppOintments for
some members. and among these will
be "Insurgent" members in the Senate
and House.
The confereeS have made a great
many changes in the form of the bill
to be reported. They have had the as
sistarce Of Attorney General Wicker
sham throughout in the matter or
harmonizng the phraseology OF the
two bills wherein both branches OF
Congress undertook to lcgislate upon
the same subjects. All of the agree
,nents are tentative and therefore the
~onferpcs are not inclined to make
them publiC 1t is known however,
that the Senate amendment shifting
rom shippers to the railroads the bur-
den Of proving the reasonableness OF
increases in rates and the OVerinan
amendment prescribing the rule under
which federal courts would pe per-
mitted TO set aside orders of state
courts will beth be retained.
These provisions are highly pleasing
To Progressive ReI ublicans ard Demo-
Gratis
The most serious trouble looked for
in the adoption of the conference report
will he in come ction with the long ana
short haul clause. rigid requirement
that no railroad should charge a higher
rate for short than for long haui Is
NOT favored hv the Senate conferees, 1t
uo,,,a not he surprising therefore if the
uouse amendment on this subject pre-
vailed
MANY LAWYERS hold that the House
amendment would he declared nncohsti-
tutional in that it delegates legislative
authority to the Interstate commerce
Commission The Senate amendment pre-
ssribes the rule by which railroads would
not be permitted to discriminate against
short haulS and thus meets the con-
stitutional question, according to the
views of Its trainers.
The Insurgents IN the Senate fear
that If the Senate conferees yield to the
House in this matter their hard tight
over this question will prove to have
been a waste of time. II is likely they
should not debate the conference report
at length if the House provision is
adopted
In the main the Senate conferees have
agreed to accept the provision in the
House bill which provides for the
amending of Section | of the existing in
terstate commerce law as greatly to en-
large the jurisdiction Of the commission
over regulations and practices of rail-
roads