The Cairo bulletin., 1910-05-04
RAILROAD BILL
IS D|SMANT[ED
THE WORK WAS CARRIED ON IN
BOTH HOUSES or CONGRESS
YESTERDAY.
cUMM|NS SAVES time
BY Withdrawing His Amendment
When Vote Was Asked--Traf-
fic Section Stricken
From Bill.

Washington, May 2.-The dismant-
ling of the administration railroad bill
proceeded In both ousese today.
Section THE traffic agreement
provision was eliminated by both
houses, and the senate also struck
out section 10, which would have per-
mitted railroad owning fifty per
cent Of another road to absorb 1t al
together. The section prohibiting a
railroad to charge higher rate Tor
a short than for long haul was adopt
ed BY the house but with a provision
for an investigation and report to con-
gress by the commerce commission OF
facts on the long and short haul ques-
tions. The same subjects were under
debate in the senate today.
Each bored holes in separate bills
the senate in the Elkins bill, the
house in the Townsend bill. The
bills at the outset were identical.
Each version OF the bill has yet to
bC paSotN III Oit ilouoC anu tuNp Nii
have to undergo the mercies Of the
other. Whether either will ever
emerge from the final stage, the joint
conference, is problem.
In the Senate.
In the senate the entire program
outlined at yesterdays conference of
the Republican leaders was carried
out.
When the bin was taken up In the
senate Elkins proposed to lay the
Cummns amendment on the table.
Cummins saved the tTouble Of taking
vote by Withdrawing his amendment
himself The Democrats had agreed
to vote against Cummins in considera-
tion Of the adoption Of the Clay
amendment striking ont the traffic
section.
Cummins said he would offer his
amendment to the traffic section to
be taken up later, and said he was
gratified over the prospect of the
elimination of the whole traffic Sec
tion. Elkins then withdrew the Craw
ford-Elkins substitute The contention
that this substitute would constitute
q compliance with the platform, was
challenged by Clapp who said that the
platform declared for insurance
against monopolies and that the Craw-
ford amendment would not accomplish
this.
The Clay amendment to strike out
the whole section was then presented.
Stone (Democrat) made a speech say
ing lie did not concur with the invi.
tation Of Rayner to the insurgents
to come into the Democratic fold.
He said that the insurgents would
do more good where they were.
The Clay amendment was then
passed. This was followed by the
striking out of section ~ covering
mergers, on motion of Nelson.
Hepburn precipitated debate pre-
senting an amendment prohibiting
long haul. He presented many cases
of alleged discrimination and many
of his statements were challenged by
Aldrich.
Aldrich named apparently some
cases of injustice but could see no
remedy. He said that many cities
like st. Paul, Denver and Kansas
City had been built up by RAILROADS.
He asked Hepburn if he would ladvo-
cate their annihilation in the Inter
ests, for example, of some unknown
place in Idaho. He said Heyburn's
contention, carried to its legitimate
result would convert the great cen.
trail part Of the country into barren
waste. Hepburn you'd not admit its
applicability. No action was taken.
In the House.
Voting began in the house on the
same question after the debate-s An
amendment by Hardy Of Texas. to
strike out the provision permitting
the interstate commerce commission
to permit making through rates in
lAIlnl n rlIH NM