The Oskaloosa herald., 1910-05-05
TEAR HOLE IN
RAER0AD BILL
Both Senate and House Engage II
DismanteIing Act.
MANY AMENDMENTS ARE MADE
Section Seven--the Traffic Agreement
lis Eliminated by Both Sides
Senate Also Strikes Out Section
12-House Bores Holes, Too.


Washington, d. c., May 4.-Special
All day yesterday the two houses
were 'busily engaged in dismantling
President Taft's Railroad Bill.
Section Z, the traffic agreement pro-
vision, was eliminated by both houses,
the senate also struck out section IL,
which would have permitted rail
road owning 80 per cent of another
road to absorb it altogether. The
section prohibiting railroad to
charge higher rate for short than
for long haul was adopted by the
house but with provision for an in
Ivestigation and report to congress
by the commerce commission, of the
facts on the long and short haul
questions. The subjects were under
debate in the senate today.
The houses bored holes in separate
bills, the senate in the Ell1ins bill, the
house in the Townsend bill. The bills
at the outset were identical. Each
version of the bill has yet to be pass
ed in it's own house and then Will
have to undergo the mercies of the
other. Whether either will ever
emerge from the final stage OF joint
conference is problem.
Carry Out Mondays Program.
When the bill was taken up in the
senate, Senator Elkins proposed to
lay the Cummins amendment on the
table. Senator Cummins saved the
trouble of taking vote by withdraw
ing his amendment himself. The
democrats had agreed to vote against
Senator Cummins in consideration of
the adoption of the Clay amendment
striking out the traffic section.
Senator Elkins then withdrew the
Crawford Elkins substitute. The con,
tention that this substitute would con
stitute compliance with the plat
form was challenged by Senator
,Glapn
D The Clay amendment to strike out
the whole section was then present.
ed
Clay Amendment Passed.
The Clay amendment was then
passed. This was followed by the
striking out of section IL covering
mergers, on the motion of Senator
Nelson.
Senator Hepburn precipitated de-
bate by presenting an amendment pro
hibiting greater charge for short
than a long haul. He presented many
cases of alleged discrimination and
many Of his statements were chal
lenged by Senator Aldrich.
Water Competition Debate.
Voting began in the house on the
same question after a debate on an
amendment by Hardy, of Texas, to
strike out the provision permitting the
commerce commission to permit max
ing a law for through rates in view of
water competition, was disagreed to.
An amendment offered by Wash
burn, Of Massachusetts. to strike out
the entire section relating to the long
and short haul, leaving the law I'M
changed, was defeated. The house
accepted an amendment of Stevens,
of Minnesota, providing for an inyes-
tigation.
The section relating to the long and
short haul clause was then agreed to
in practically the form reported
Traffic Agreements.
The provision authorizing traffic
agreements was then taken up. Town.
send. of Michigan, offered an amend
mCnt providing that in case any such
agreement should result in higher
rates than previously charged, the
commission should approve the rates
before they become effective.
Martin, OF South Dakota, offered a
substitute. providing that rates made
by traffic agreements should be APP
proved by the commission before be.
coming effective in all instances.
Mann OF Illinois, opposed both, de.
clariug the cause as reported contain.
led all the safeguards proposed in the
amendments. by vote OF SO TO 50
Martins substitute was agreed to.
Madden, OF Illinois. offered an
amendment TO strike out the entire
traffic agreement section. BY a vote
of ITO to 81 the amendment was
agreed to.
The CENSUS,