Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-04-27
LONG AND SHORT HAUL SECTION
OF RAIL BILL WOULD BE
BLOW TO SHIPPERS.
PRESIDENT TAFT AWAkES
TO DANGERS OF PROVISION
Seeks TO- Secure Aid Of Insurgents in
Defeating cIause-Houss Will Not
Reeede But Senate is Expected to De-
feat Provision-AsricuItur Com
munitie. Endangered.

Washington, April President
Taft is still of the opinion that he will
be able to defeat the long and short
clause OF the pending railroad bill in
| the senate, perhaps with the aid OF
democratic votes. He has been in
formed by men who agree with him re-
garding the undesira bility of this leg
islation, that it will be very difficult to
prevent the house from adopting it.
AS last resort, the president will try
TO see what can be done to bring the
insurgents over TO his way of think
ing, and with this purpose in mind, he
has sent for Representative Norris. of
Nebraska.
AS the situation is framed up today.
the house probably will adopt the
clause and the senate refuse to do so.
That will mean that the question of
whether the railroad law of this ses-
sion is to deal with the long and short
haul question will be worked out in
conference.
Chairman Mann, of the house COM
nittee on interests and foreign COM
merce will be at the had of the house
conferees, and. since he is believed TO
be at heart opposed to the long and
short haul proposition. there is a
chance that he will yield in confer
ence to the senate This is now the
hope of those who oppose the legisla-
ton
President Taft has had numerous
conferences with both republicans and
democrats about It. and is trying to
line up a majority against the pro-
vision regardless of politics 1t Is his
opinion, that if the provision should be
enacted it would be the same as build
ing high wall around such states as
Kansas and Nebraska, Iowa and the
Dakotas, and Montana. Farmers, I'M
der the long and short haul provision.
would again be compelled to burn their
corn and wheat in Kansas and Iowa.
The long and short haul provision, as
the president sees it. is a relic of the
old populist idea brought down to date.
and is utterly impractical and vision
AIRY.
The president has sent for Repre-
sentative Stevens, of Minnesota, and
will talk to him about the long and
short haul provision. Stevens under
stands the situation in the house and
will tell the president that the outlook
for passing the provision in that body
is good. If possible. they will plan a
campaign which may change this
house situation. The president be-
lieves that the long and short haul will
mean straight distance tariff IN this
country, and utterly destroy all agri-
culture at points remote from mar
ket centers.
Defeat Of Clause Urged.
Letters and kilograms are coming to
tho White House and to members of
congress from all parts of the central
west. urging the president and con-
eress 70 do their best to defeat this
provision, and predicting all sorts OF
disaster unless this can be done.
Many of these letters and kilograms
are from Minnesota and the Dakotas
The interest in the long and short haui
provision is increasing as the time ap-
proaches when the house is to pass
upon it,
The motive of the house democrats
in saying they will support the propo-
sition is not clearly understood AS
some see it-among them the, pres1-
dent-the democrats are merely trying
TO make the railroad DIN dis Offensive
as possible, so as Is justify veto
against it on final passage. AS others
see it, the democrats are trying to
help republicans from the mountain
states to make further trouble for the
republican party. The enactment OF
a long and short haul provision, several
democrats allege. would operate so dis
astrously as to prevent the republicans
from ever again being Entrusted with
the control of the government.
DENIS to Vote for Provision.
Pressure is being brought to bear
upon the democrats in the house from
New York City. These democrats are
preparing to vote for the long and
short haul proposition, which is directly
against the interests of their constitu-
ents and of the eastern section of the
country generally. especially the COM
mercial .centers.
1t is planned to exert this pressure
in the form of protests from home. In
the senate there is chance that the
long and short haul may be defeated
with the. aid of democratic votes.
One democratic senator announced
that he had the names of eight demo-
Gratis who would stand with him in
opposing it. II is understood that SEN
ator Bailey is one Of these.
The long and short haul, it is assert
ed, would ruin the agricultural and
grazing interests of his state and make