The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-06-07
R. R.. BILL PASSES
Bitterly Contested Measure
Goes Through Senate.
ONLY TWELVE VOTES AGAINST
Insurgent Republicans Joined the
Regulars in Final the Action.
Many Amendments Made
to the Measure.
ONLY TWELVE VOTES AGAINST

Washington, June T. - The senate
passed the so-called administration
railroad bill, thus ending a contest be-
tween the insurgents and Republican
regulars which has run on more or
less regularly for almost three months
The closing scenes in the debate on
the bill were characterized BY a grand
rush on the part of the insurgents to
seats on the organization band wagon
Not an insurgent voted against the
bill. which went through by division
of so to IL. All who voted against the
bill we're Democrats, so that Presi
dent Taft will have the satisfaction
OF rejecting that Notwithstanding all
the rust and smoke that had been
kicked up in the long senate fight the
bill has finally emerged a real party
measure.
The bill will now go to conference
the house having already acted on
similar measure. To get in a parlla
mentary advantage the senate, after
it had passed the bill. took the house
bill from the table. struck out all after
the enacting clause and substituted It's
own bill as -. amendment. This will
permit the house to disagree without
delay and ask for a conference.
The long fight over the railroad bill
In the senate ended with both insur'
gents and regulars in good humor.
Ehe insurgents in explaining their
rush toward the band wagon declared
that the bill contains many good fea-
lures, and that they alone were enti.
tied to the credit for them. Senator
LaFollette. after having occupied the
attention of the senate for a large
part of the day with a dozen OF so OF
amendments. sang a swan song. The
bill was not just as he would like to
see II, but II was a step in the right
direction. and the country, as he view
ed the situation, could thank the in
surgents and the Democrats for the
merit in II.
The bill as II passed the senate con-
tains only three or four propositions
in the same form as they appeared in
the administration original bill. The
commerce court feature is retained
with slight notifications. and so also
are the propositions authorizing ship
pers to select their own routes, the
provision imposing penalties for incor
rect statements OF rates by railroad
companies. and that authorizing the
commission TO begin investigation
upon its own initiative and to control
classihcations. Those are practically
the only elements of the original biil
left.
To these have been added chiefly
through insurgent and Democratic
votes, a long and short haul amend
ment, an antiinjunction amendment. a
provision giving the Interstate com
merce commission power to suspend
increases In rates for eleven months.
q provision allowing the Interstate
commerce commission to become a
party to litigation in regard to its or
ders before the new commerce court.
an amendment shifting the burden of
proof in regard to the reasonableness
Of increases in rates from the shippers
to the railroad Itself. An amendment
including the telephone and telegraph
companies as common carriers under
the interstate commerce law, and sew
eral other amendments Of minor Inn.
portance,