Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-23
RAIkROAD BILLS IN CONGRESS-
Mrb Wiokersham Explains Latest
Administration Measure Changes.
CLEMENTS BEFORE COMMITTEE
Question of Lower Rntes on Foreign
shipRsnts IL Raised-COmmiSsiOn
Changes Concerning
Court of Comerce.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 22-Attorney Gen
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2L-Attorney Gen
eral Wickersham appeared before the sem
ate mmit on interstate commerce late
yesterday and explained in detail the latest
administration charges desired in the bill
20 create a court Of m and amend
the Interstate commerce laws.
It had been expected that an effort would
be made today to bring the subject to a
vote and that the bill might be ordered
favorably reported. but Mr.. Wickersham's
kftatement and the questions put to him con-
Vsumed so much time that It was decided to
hold another meeting tomorrow.
Senator Cummlns. author of the rival
railroad bill. examined the attorney gen
eral with great care concerning many
features Of the administration bill which
conflict with he own bill. At the same
time he did not Cvademn the administration
bill and the Indications are that no great
difficulty will be encountered in reaching
an agreement for a report.
Bills I'm the House.
Discussion Of the constitution and the
tariff crept into the proceedings Of the
&ouse committee on interstate
WHEN Commissioners Judson c. Clements
was giving his views on provisions of the
Townsend and Mann bills for the amend
AiduL o NIG CuilllilgItt law
Mr.. Clements suggested that It was get
ting into the question Of protective tariff
andN free trade when the committee brought
up the long and short haul problem with
particular reference to lower railroad rates
for goods shipped to and from abroad.
The railroads reply to criticism of that
discrimination, he said, was that II they
did not allow the lower rates the Canadian
railroads or some other routing arrange
ment would.
He suggested that the committee might
Include in the proposed legislation a pro-
vision permitting a maximum per cent of
difference between these foreign rates and
the domestic rates on the RAILROADS or the
committee might vest in the Interstate
Commerce commission discretionary power
TO deal with each particular case on the
facts.
Tendency Towards Consolidation.
1.-THE tendency Of the express compan
les" 1t was suggested to Mr.. Clements,
rs to merge into two or three companies
to cover the country"
yes" replied the Commissioners. II thinl
that the general tendency, and of the
railroads as WE'LL"
He added that there is very little compe-
7 titlon between the various express com
panies operating over the different rail-
\ roads and that the Mann and TOWNSEND
bills would give the commission mucl
wider scope for regulation of the express
companies.
He conceded that It was possible tina
the railroads might handle the express
business themselves just as they nov
handle excess baggage Of commercial trav
elers. The lower the express tariff wa
made the greater would become shipmen
of small freight as express, according Il
Mr.. Clements.
In a formal statement submitted To. Pres
ldent Taft and to the house and senate
committees the Interstate Commerce com
mission has suggested certain changes ii
the measure.
The Rplll as a whole is approved by tn
commission and in It's statement the com
mission expresses its qualification "tha
this measure embodies most, IL not all. o
the principal recommendations heretofor
made to congress-, except the valuation G
railroad properties, and also contains pre-
visions of great Importance, which in thei
general scope are unanimously endorsed.
However. the commission recommend
sthat the bill be so amended as to contai
the explicit statement that the commerc
court shall have no jurisdiction or powe
over orders of the commission not now pos
q sessed by circuit courts OF the Unite
States.
I'VE are OF the opinion that a singl
Judge of the commerce court should not b
empowered to stay an order of the com
mission" and the suggestion is made the
such a stay may be granted only by tn
court, "or a majority of the judge
thereof"
Suspension of Rates.
In the suspension of a proposed rate. tn
commission desires 100 days instead {
sixty days as proposed In the bill.
1t Is maintained that the commissio
SHOULD have power to compel rates an
Joint rates Whenever in it's opinion they al
re4ulred by public necessity.
eff 1t is the Intent OF congress to xiv
shippers the right to choose between tw
Il or more routes. in the routing OF traffi
the commission believes that i~ntentio
fshould be expressed plainly in the pre-
I posed law"
Concerning the purchase OF one road /
another road, the commission says;
'Vge seei no reason why the prohibitio
that Zone road shalt not acquire any int
est in a Competing road should not be e.
tended so Aaa to prohibit the acquiring
any interest IA competing water line" ar
en- amendmsrt Is suggested to inclut