Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-04-12
IAFT'S RAILROAD
BILL IS SCORED
BY LA TOILETTE
Representative Mann Makes i;
Strong Appeal in House for
Measure However.

WASHINGTON. April 12.-With about
200 members in their seats the admins
tration railroad bill was taken up for
consideration by the House today.
Speaker Cannon called to the chair
Representative Bennett, If New York,
who presided over the committee of the
whole while Mr.. Mann, of Illinois,
chairman of the committee on inter
state and foreign commerce, addressed
the House upon the measure reported
from his committee.
with a fun realization" said Mr..
Mann. eof the benefits and the neces-
sity of wise and successful manage
ment, operation and progressive con-
struction of our railways, we also real
ize that il the benefits which they con-
fer upon the people they are the serv-
ants and not the masters. 1t Is their
duty to treat all persons upon equal
terms. 1t is their due that they be
treated with fairness n reasonable
consideration by government and by the
people, and it is our duty that they n
treat fairly all those who deal with
them and that they shall furnish with
reasonable diligence those advantages
of convenience and economical trans
portation for which they are con-
structed and operated n faVors
granted by the States
Mr Mann declared that the Elkins
and Hepburn laws we've mainly effec-
tive and had not been ollowed by the
disasters thai had been SO freely pre-
dicted. Under the wise leadership,
declared Mr.. Mann, "of the great states
man. now IN the White House, who
himself served as q judge On the Fed
eral bench, in constituting and enforc"
ing the act, we are now con-
sidering propositions somewhat in ad-
vance of those heretofore made into
law
Mr. Mann said the bill would give
greater expedition to justice, greater
advantages on even terms to all snip
pers, greater security to those who care
to invest their money in railway
stocks or bonds, and greater protection
TO those railroads. whose homogeneous
desire to operate them efficiently in the
interest of the people who use them and
the stockholders who W them.
The large number Of Republicans and
Democrats who remained in their places
and listened attentively to the Illinois
member gave evidence of h importance
that was attached to the measure tnat
will be kept before the House with
special privileges until disposed OF.
LsFOIiette Speaks in Senate.
Senator La Toilette today took the
Senate floor for the purpose of making
his long-promised speech in opposition
to the administration railroad bill. TIL
speech was a severe -arraignment of
the department of justice. The Wis
cousin Senator's remarks We're largely
devoted to the provisions of the bill
authorizing the acquisition of the stock
of one company by another, and he
used the merger of the Boston and
Maine Company with the New York,
New Hayen and Hartford as the basis
oil his accusations.
Charging the encouragement with
undue haste in disseminating the SUIT
begun by the Roosevelt administration
against these roads, he declared that,
judging by what that official did'in that
case, 1t was not a violent assumption
to state that if the pending bill a
been law ''he would have entered into
a stipulation with the New Haven road
that the roads proposed to be acquired
were not directly and substantially
competitive; that upon such stipulation
Judgment would lay been rendered by
the court of commerce in accordance
with the stipulation, thereby estop-
ping the government forever from
making any claim that such acquisi-
tions were in violation of the Sherman
antitrust act
Speaking of President Mellen and
Wce-President Byrnes, of the New
YORK;, New Haven and Hartford rail
road. Senator La Toilette said:
1.-THE mask is off. We have all of us
done injustice TO Mr.. Mellen; gross'in-
Justice. Nor is Mr.. Byrnes, in his pri-
vate capacity or in any capacity except
as a corporation employee the %truculent
braggart that he seems in the press re-
ports of railroad hearings.
Both Of these men and others of
their kind are but hired m%egaphones
through which a beefy. red-faced, thick
necked. financial bully, drunk with
wealth and power, bawls his orders to
stock markets, directors. courts, gov
ernments and nations. We have been
listening to Mr.. Morgan"