The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-04
House and Senate Rap the
Measure Hard and Lop
Off Parts Of It
FATHER OF BILL WOULD
NOT RECOGNIZE IT NOW
Crawford-Elkfns Amendment il With-
drawn and Entire Traffic and
Merger Provisions Knocked
Out In the Senate.

| Washington, May 3-The dismantling Of
the administration railroad bill proceeded
| in both houses of Congress today.
Section Z, the traffic agreement pro-
vision. was eliminated by both Senate ana
House: the Senate struck out also Sec
ton IL, which would have permitted any
| railroad owning 90 per cent of anotnef
road to absorb 1t altogether
The section prohibiting a railroad -
charge a higher rates for short than
for long haul was adopted by the House
in the form reported by the COMMITTEES
on interstate commerce, but with an addt-
tional provision for an investigation 3Md
report to Congress by the interstate COM
merce commission of the facts relative to
the long and short haul question
There is no action corresponding to this
in the bill as it is pending in the Sen-
ate, but an amendment offered by Senator
Hepburn today to modify existing laws to
similar effect precipitated an extended de-
bate which was still in progress when
the Senate adjourned.
Strictly speaking, each house today waa
boring holes in separate bili-the Sen.
ate In the Senate bill introduced by Sem
ator Elkins: the house in the bill intro
duced by Representative Townsend-but
| the bills at the outset were identical.
| though they were made different in va
rious respects by the committees which
| reported them. Each version of the bill
| has yet to be passed in its own house,
and then will have to undergo the tender
mercies of the other.
Final Action Doubtful
| Whether either will emerge from the
| final stage of joint conference is a thing
| nobody is prepared just now to prophecy.
| Never since it was reached in the Sem
ate, some nine weeks ago, has the bill
moved along with such celebrity as today.
| The entire programme outlined at yester-
| days conference OF republican leaders
was carried out and extended. The Craw.
| fard-Ellxins amendment was Withdrawn
and the entire traffic and merger pro- {
| visions stricken out.
| Immediately after the bill was taken up, :
| in the Senate, Mr.. Elkins. in charge OF
| the bill. proposed to lay on the table the
| Cummns amendment requiring the ap-
proval of all agreements by the inter-
state commerce commission in advance
of their taking effect. But Mr.. Cummins
saved the trouble of taking a vote by
voluntarily taking his amendment out OF
the running.
The democrats had agreed to vote
against the cummins provision in con-
sideration of the adoption of the Clay
| amendment, striking out the entire
section.
Mr.. Elkins explained that the ma
jority of the interstate commerce COM
mfttee were unwilling to permit the pro-
vision to go out because of the appre-
hension felt by some that 1t would
have the erect of repeating the anti
trust law so far as II applied to ran-
roads. He expressed his purpose of
supporting the Clay amendment, but
explained that in order to get 1t be-
fore the Senate it was necessary to
get the Cummins amendment out of :.
the way. For that purpose he moved
to lay the Cummins amendment on the
table. Mr.. Cummins then announced
his withdrawal of his amendment. He
expressed his conviction that II adopt-
ed the provision would be beneficial to
the public and he said he would re-offer
1t in connection with section to be
taken up later He declared himself
to be much gratifeld over the prospect
of the elimination of the entire traffic
agreement section.
Motion Withdrawn
The motion to lay on the table was
Withdrawn by Mr.. Elkins vino followed
this action with the withdrawal of the
Ira WIOTu-Eihl0e substitute.
The last action was acquiesced in
by Mr.. Crawford, but not without pro-
test. The contention that the Craw-
ford amendment would constitute
compliance with the platform was
challenged by Senator Clapp, who said
the purpose of that declaration had
been to Insure against monopoly,
which he said the Crawford amend
ment would not accomplish.
The Clay amendment striking out
the agreement provision then was pre-
sented but was not acted upon imme-
diately.
Senator stone said he did not con-
cur in the invitation recently extend
ed by Mr.. Rayner to the insurgents to
come into tho democratic fold He
thought they would do more good
where they were.
The Clay amendment then was ac-
cepted without division and this action
was followed by the adoption of mo-
tion by Senator Nelson striking out,
without division, section IL, which COW
cred the questions of mergers.
\ MIR. Hepburn precipitated the debate of
the day by presenting an amendment pro-
hibiting greater charge for short than
for long hauls. He spoke at length in
support OF his amendment, presenting
many instances of alleged discrimination.
Many OF his statements were chal-
lenged by Senator Aldrich and a contro-
versy ensued in which many senators par
ticipated.
Cases of Injustice
Admitting that apparently there were
some cases of injustice Mr.. Aldrich said
the trouble was to find remedy. Declar-
ing that many cities had been built up
by the railroads, he asked Mr. Hepburn
whether he advocated their annihilation in
the interest for Instance. of some un-
known place. He declared that Mr.. Hey
burns contentious carried to their egiti-
mate result, would convert the great CEN
tra part of the country Into barren
waste. FiFHN
THAT is the old siren song" Mr.. Hey
burn responded.
He would not admit its applicability and
declared il the terminal charges of the
railroads were fair and remuneratiye
there could be no injustice in a bar
gaining for the same price as a shorter
haul The Hepburn amendment was still
under consideration when the Senate adj
journed. .hrrxl
Voting was begun on amendments to the