Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-16
ALDRICH DEFENDS
RAILROAD BILL IN
HEATED DEBATE
Name of President Taft Is
Banded About by Ex-
cited Senators
BAILEY HURLS Def
Declares One Provision
Designed to Reverse
Supreme Court
BAILEY HURLS Def
IAssoclated Pressl

VIZ ASHINGTON, March 16.-In the
w sharpest debate yet provoked in
the senate on the administra-
tion railroad bill. bitter criticisms of
the supporters OF the bill In trying to
put the measure through without
amendment elected from Senator AL
drich an admission that the bill had
been amended.
This statement was made during the
second day of Senator Cummins'
speech attacking the bill, but not until
after the friends of the measure had
been accused of trying to hide behind
the president and behind the fact that
the bill had been drafted at his di-
rection.
Senator Cummins contended that the
prov ision in the bill referring to traf-
fic agreements would render them
legal without their submission to the
interstate commerce commission. He
asserted there had been conspicuous
silence In the committee on this sub
tect. Thereupon Mr.. Crawford turned
to Senator Aldrich, who is a member
of the committee on interstate COM
mecer, and questioned him on his in
terpretation of the meaning of the
provision.
Bailey Makes Charge
1.-THE whole truth" interrupted Mr.
Bailey, before Mr.. Aldrich could reply,
'is that the intention of the provision
for the repeal of the antitrust law
is to reverse the supreme court OF the
United States. The effect and pur-
nose is to take the railroads from
under the supreme court
Mr. Aldrich denied the intimation or
the Texas senator, and from this col
loquy arose a general discussion as
to whether it had been the original In
tention to include the railroads in the
Sherman antitrust bill During this
discussion Mr.. Aldrich said that no
senator who had voted for the Sher-
man antitrust law had the slightest
idea that the railroads were embraced
within its terms.
"But all the same you are now try
ing to take them out of IT," reiterated
Mr.. Bailey.
'I beg pardon" responded Mr.. Al
drich, "but that Is not true. The
senator from Texas is mistaken as to
the purpose of the proposed law. as
is the senator from Iowa"
Mr.. Cummins would not admit that
he could be mistaken. for he declared
broadly on it's face. There could be
no doubt that it repealed the law on
traffic agreements. he said.
Elkins Defends Measure
Senator Ell5lns undertook to refute
this contention by reading the pro-
vision regarding the agreements, and
In so doing broadly asserted that every
one must know the railroads violate
the law every day. This assertion was
challenged by several senators, but
the West Virginian held to his posi-
tion and asked:
''Now, why embarrass the railroads?"
"True, true" responded Mr.. Cum
minis half under his breath.
Mr. Elkins contended that even
though agreements were authorized by
the pending bill, the commission still
would have control of rates and even
more comprehensive control than
under the present law.
'It is not the agreement that is pow
erful," he said, "but the rates them
selves, and so long as the commits
sion controls the rates it is in COM
mand of the situation"
Mr.. Aldrich referred to a supposed al
lance between the "insurgent" Repub-
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