The Washington herald., 1910-06-06
RAIL BILLFACES WAR
House Votes Tomorrow on
Question of Referring 1t.
SENATE LEADERS IN ALARM
Expected Many Clauses to BE Drop
ned in Conference, and If Measure
Is Accepted Through Necessary
Aid of Democrats, 1t VIII Go to
President as Adopted in Senate.

Signs point to a lively fight In the
House Tuesday when a motion viii be
made 10 send the administration railroad
bill to conference. House and Senate
leaders have determined the bill passed
bv the Senate must be robbed Of some
of its insurgent- Democratic amendments.
Accordingly. the word has been given
that all the regulars shall stand by on
Tuesday and vote to send the bin 10
conference.
The plan TO refer the bill cannot carry
without the assistance of the Democrats.
II the minority join the insurgents In the
House the Senate bill will be accepted.
Representative Champ Clark, the minor
ity leader, said last night that until he
had an opportunity to confer with the
Democrats on the Committee on inter
state and Foreign Commerce he would be
unable 10 say just what the attitude OF
his followers would be.
Insurgents Favor Bill.
Nearly all OF the House insurgents are
to vote to accept the bill. 1t is pointed
out by insurgent Senators that Senators
EIkins and Aldrich will be on the con-
ference committee. and that they are like
" to dominate, So the insurgent Sena-
tors have informed their party brethren
In the House that il they want to make
sure of good railroad legislation the way
10 do IL Is TO accept the Senate bill.
During the consideration of the bill in
the Senate, a number OF insurgent-Dem-
ocratic amendments were accepted. with
the understanding that they would be
dropped IN conference.
Among them is the long and short haul
clause. upon which ii was hoped 10 eff
feet a compromise that would maintain
present conditions pending an inquiry by
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
Another provision. regarded by the Sem
ate as objectionable. Is that prohibiting
the issuance of an interlocutory injunc-
ton in the matter of State railroad en-
actments by less than three Federal
Judges instead Of by one. as at present.
Still another Senate amendment that II
was hoped would be lost In conference
is that placing the burden OF proof as TO
the reasonableness OF rates on the rail-
roads instead of upon the shipper.
Against Cummins Clause.
Senate regulars do not like the Cum
Minis amendment. which authorizes an In
uuiry by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission as 10 the reasonableness Of rates
Increased by the carriers since January /.
1910 This was marked for slaughter in
conference.
Senator Foster. Of Louisiana. left for
New Orleans yesterday. TO be gone a
week and as Senator Newlands. of Ne
vada. is the next ranking member Of the
minority on the Interstate Commerce
Committee, he will probably be named In
place Of the Louisiana Senator Senator
Newlands Is more Of a radical than Sen
ator Foster. and If the bill should go TO
conference would be very insistent for
some of the amendments added by the
insurgent-D Democratic combination. In
addition 10 Senator Elkins. the chair
man OF the Senate Committee on Inter
state Commerce. Senator AldTich. would
be selected as the other Senate conferee.
Senator Cullom Outranks Senator Aldrich
in the committee. but he has no disposi-
ton TO serve.
The situation will be outlined to the
President to-day. Whether he will make
any suggestions as to what the House
leaders should do remains to be devel-
oped.