Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-24
HOUSE COMMITTEE
VOTES To REPORT
TAFl'S R. R. BILL
Republicans All Favorable to
Measure; Democrats Are
Against 1t.

WASHINGTON March 24.-The adj
ministration railroad bill, embodying
many changes in the existing. law n
in the House by Mr.. Townsend, of
Michigan, was ordered favorably re-
ported by the House committee on in
terstate COMMERCE today. '
The committee split on party ines.
All the Republicans voted for the bill,
including Chairman Mann. The alb
sent Republicans, under agreement,
were recorded in the affirmative. Two
Democrats voted against the bill, and
they will present a minority report.
The bill in Its. original form now Is
pending in the Senate.
The. report from the House commits
tee will be presented. as Nsson as pos
sfa,leS Mfthih5 four4or Eve days. Chain
man, Mann said today ne was unable
to say when the measure would be
brought up, or the floor Of the House
and whether or not there will be a cad-
Gus on it is yet uncertain.
THE bill speaks for ITSELF. said Mr.
AtafBss vsin add ftfon Sto the~4creation OF
a mmerc court it contains Important
provisions which d to the powers Oh
the Interstate Commerce Commissioo
over the regulations, practises ana
rights of railways and decidedly
strengthens the means adopted by the
government for the regulation of the
railroads. 1t prohibits the absorption
by one road OF. water line of d COM
peting line, except when authorized by
the court.
sJt far1ilc fl1a iSSnE nf stocks or
bonds, except for legitimate purposes
and at prices to be fixed by the Inter-
state Commerce Commission and for
bids any issue of stocks or bonds en-
.cept on application to the commission
The hill is a logical development of the
theory adopted by Congress that rail-
ways in all their dealings sha be sub
ject to governmental control and not
left to ~IlleStheory OF competition mere y,
Ii is the most advanced step eyer taken
in. the matter of the control and re2u-
latioa Of the commentaries corpora
lions of the country"
The minority report will be prepared
under the direction of Mr.. Adamson,
of Georgia, ranking Democrat on the
committee. Mr.. Adanlson opposes gov
ernmental control of purchases of com-
reting lines. control of issuance Of
stocks and bonds. and the creation of
the. court. All of the minor
ity,t however, do not share his views.
.nNanysofs the amendments to the bill
We're. drawn In entirety from the bill
Introduced carly in the session by
Chairman Mann, who can see nc neces-
sity for d commerce court. and whose
views differ materially from the admin
istration vie VS. on railroad legislation.
There will be several committee
amendments offered on the floor of the
When the bill is taken UP in the
event the committee should agree upon
several provisions which it did not act
upon definitely. Among these provi-
sioi.s is n to give the court
jurisdicti 1n YER The determination of
what roads are competitive within the
nearing of the sections of the bill re-
latfhg to mergers. There is a differ
ence of opinion among the members of
the committee as 10 whether this deter
mination should be lodged with the
court or with the Interstate
Commerce Commission.