Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-05-05
THE RAILROAD BILL
WAS AMENDED
Sections Seven and Twelve Removed
Entirely.
THE INSURGENTS RESPONSIBLE
Rather Than Permit the Measure to
Be Amended Senator Aldrlch
Favored Cutting the Sec
tons Out.

Washington, May 4.--When MI; Tart
gets home from his western jaunt
it will be some ones duty--a painful
duty perhaps--to take him gently by
the hand, lead him up to his commerce
court, or railroad bill, and introduce
him to that measure. Without an in
PRODUCTION he would never recognize
the mangled, lacerated and vivid bill,
as the one he SO politely sent to con.
gress last January.
The esteemed senate brought out the
amputating tools and began actual
cutting. In the phrase Of the chirurgfc
profession, two major operations were
performed. Sections 7 and IL Of the
bill, sections that in the presidential
view might be considered the vitals of
the measure were remove in their en-
tirety.
Section Seven Out.
Section seven, amputated in both
houses, contained that provision Of the
proposed law which gave railroads
the right to combine for rate making
purposes. It declared that 1t should
be lawful, with certain restrictions.
for railroads to get together to make
trafic agreements.
The Insurgents, fighting under the
Cummins' banner really do not wish to
cut the section out entirely. Their
effort was to amend It by permitting
the railroads to get together and make
franc agreements but requiring the
approval Of the interstate commerce
commission to any rates before they
should become effective and for once
in his life Senator Aldrich was shown
that his opponents had votes enough
TO beat him. SO It was decided rather
than make the section over to suit the
Insurgents and terrify the railroads to
submit to its elimination.
Section " Goes Too.
While the bill was still under the In
iiuence Of the anaesthetic, which its
yitals exposed and the surgeons had
their sleeves rolled up, Senator Aid.
rich announced that they might a.
wen take Que section u while they
were at It. Section - was the one
that permitted railroads to combine, or
merge, where one owned as much as
so per cent Of the stock Of another,
even though they might be competing
lines, but prohibited mergers where
one road owned less than so per cent
Of the stock OF another competing line.
I, was the section written in after the
visit Of six railroad presidents to Mr..
taft and at the behest Of these railroad
maxnates. senator AldFich was NOV.
Cd 20 amputate that provision for the
reason that the insurgents were threat
ewing to amend It in way that would
rake Il Altogether unpleasant to ran
road magnates.
AldrIeh would Remove More.
sin further intsntended operations
vore announced By senator Aldrich,
FOR The removal Of sections Is. u and
III which sssk TO give The interrtats
conmlssion and the commerce couri
Jurisdiction over the issuance Of stockn
ana bonds 81 railroads and are n
tended 10 prevent ths ola tine and
profitable practice 81 Watering stoek1.
ma when ne aunouncomont cane
thsrs vas disagreement among the in-
rurgents.
Senator Cummins declared nat
lhsss sections were he real and Eurs
suourh vitals q the b1l and that hel
-1.-,ia nat 81 forchef eycfpt Cor = few
- 1ssfss nat 81 m pioposs vheu
a. tine cones 70 make ten slroagsi
snf betier. j