The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-04-12
Brisk Fight in Senate on Bill
Favored by President, Al
though Several Amendments
Succeed in Getting Through.
APPEALS TO THE SUPREME
COURT TO BE PERMITTED
Senator Nelson Tells Senate
What He Thinks of Bill and
Takes Occasion to Drub At
tOrney General WiCkerSham,
HIS DISMAL PREDICTIONS

JASHINGTON. April Il.-Ths
w Senate today entered the vOt-
ing stage of its consideration
Of the administration railroad bill.
In accordance with the previous
agreement, senator EIkins WAS prompt
In moving che consideration of the bill
soon after the senate met, and it re-
ceived continuous attention until the
close of the session.
W bile the opposition would nOt con-
cede the Eikins amendments to be the
amendments of the majority of the
committee On Interstate commerce,
they consented 10 allow them 10 be
treated such. thus cOnsentfug 90
their completion in advance of the
presentation of other amendments.
Senator Cummins. In turn, succeeded
In procuring the concession that his
and Senator CIapp's amendments should
be next taken up.
The only amendments acted upon dur
ing the day were those regulating the
jurisdiction OF the proposed court Of COM
merce, granting appeals from interlOcu-
tory orders OF the court of commerce and
permitting five DAYS notice Of hearing in
injunction proceedings
Sharp Debate on Amendments.
The last two amendments were accept
ed without opposition. but there was
sharp debate on the first series ahd sew
eral votes were taken on substitutes Of
fered by opponents of the bill The sub
stLutes were voted down. The Eikins
amendments granting appeals to the SUI
preme court from the temporary injunc-
tons ana requiring five days notice in
injunction proceedings were adopted
without division. He was not so FORUM
ate with MS amendment allowing COM
plainants to be represented by counsel
before the commerce court. Mr. Cum-
minis presented a substitute giving them
the absolute right to be made a party TO
the suit This amendment was under
consideration when the Senate adjourned.
Pending the consideration of the yari-
GUS amendments suggested by Mr.. Elkins.
Senator Nelson Of Minnesota stated his
position toward the bill as a whole He
especially opposed the repeal of ths
sherman antitrust law as applicable to
railroads. u regard that law. next 10
the constitution. as the most imports nj
law Oh our statute books, he said. TO
my mind il is the only protection we
have against the inrOads Of the trusts
Asserting that from the first the Sher-
man law was applicable to the railroads.
he said the roads had resisted the statute
from the beginning.
Takes Shot at Wiekersham.
4 am talking about the bill as it came
here, he said. and I am impelled 10
talk in view Of speech made out west
the other day.
He referred to the speech made in Chi
cagO Saturday night by Attorney Gen
eTal Wickersham, and later he said il
did not lie in that officials mouth to 90
out to Chicago and make speech critic
cising members Of Congress after franz
ing such a BILL He saTCastically char
acterized section Y. relating 10 railroad
combinations. as the most charming
provision of the bill" He was especially
severe on the provision allowing the
court of commerce TO approve railroad
mergers in advance of COnsummatiOn. de-
claring with this blessing" once OBJ
tanned the combination afterward would
do anything 1T might desire to do.
Senator Nelson Sdld ne could not vote
for the bin SO long as it proposed 10 re-
peal the antitrust law. He asserted that
the bill was almost wholly in the inter-
est Of the railroads and predicted that II
it should become a law, all the roads Of
the country would soon be controlled by
two or three men.