The San Francisco call., 1910-05-03
ADMINISTRATIONS
DEFEATED AGAIN
Regulars COncede an Insurgent
Victory in the Railroad
Legislation
Continued from Page L

Continued from Page L
provision in return for an agreement to
eliminate the section altogether.
It is agreed section 12 must be
abandoned also It is not certain that
even sections 13, IA and Is, which pro-
vide for federal regulation of the is
suance of securities of railroads, can
be saved. The agreement reached to-
day does not cover those sections.
The chamber of the senate and the
| several adjacent committee rooms oc-
cupied by leaders have not been the
scenes of so much -jockeying over legis-
lation since the making of the famous
Allison compromise" to the Hepburn
rate law four years ago.
Throughout today efforts were made
to effect an agreement between those
who favored the Cummins amendment
and those who supported the Elkins-
4 Crawford provision. The first would
require all traffic agreements and
changes of rates TO be approved by the
interstate commerce commission before
taking effect. The latter would make
traffic agreements lawful under the
Sherman law, but would not require
that rates made by railroads should be
submitted to the commission in ad-
vance.
Senator Cummins was called into the
final conference. He was asked If the
/ insurgents could not get together on
some provision less obnoxious to the
majority of the republicans than was
/ the pending Cummins amendment
SumminS is quoted as saying personally
he would agree TO the adoption of>some
provision insuring substantially the
same thing.
When Senator Cummins came out OF
! Senator Aldrich's room he said: 1--WE
Gre not compromising. We think we
have the votes to adopt my amend
ment."
1t twas apparent he had not been told
} of the plan to eliminate section ano
did not suspect any such intention on
the part of those having the bill in
charge.
Harmony was not complete in the
conference of the senate leaders. Sen
ator Flint was not willing that section
z be stricken out At the same time he
was opposed to giving railroads full
power 20 raise rates without approval
/ of the commission and made it clear
! that on a final vote he would act
against his associates and support the
lCummins rather than the Elkins- Craw-
ford amendment.
If you adopt the Eikins- wford
] provision and the railroads increa Sc
1 their rates, as they must do" declared
Flint, lit will be charged that the in
lcreases were due to the removal of the
possibility of prosecution for violation
/ of the provisions of the Sherman law
/ II the Cummins provision is adoptedAit
viii be physically impossible for the
interstate commerce commission to
pass upon the great volume of new
rates presented. 1 believe the rail
roads should be permitted to make
traffic agreements, but they should be
prohibited from making any change in
existing rates without approval of the
commission"
Flint proposed as a compromise that
| traffic agreements be permitted and
the commission should give blanket ap-
proval of existing rates, but that nc
new rates should be put in force until
! they had been approved
FLINT WITHDRAws
His proposition did not meet with
I the acquiescence of majority of those
participating in the conference and il
was apparent also the insurgents would
not accept it. Flint then Withdrew
from the conference.
Several senators were asked tonight
! TO what they attributed failure TO get
enough votes to adopt the Elkins-
Crawford amendment
They were almost unanimous in the
| expression that it could be charged
/ directly to the fear that if rates were
raised by the railroads the people
would say the repeal of the Sherman
antitrust law in Its application to
/ railroads was responsible
Unquestiopably the possible political
| effect of the adoption of that section
| frightened away some of the early sun
porters of the provision.
Senator Root was noticeably annoyed
at the outcome of the conference. When
| asked what caused the change of front
in connection with section he said;
cold feet. Some of those who
| ought to support the bill were afraid OF
| the political effect
Attention was called to the fact that
| the New York, New Haven and Hart
ford today increased passenger rates
between Is and 80 per cent
Whether the showdown between reg
ular republicans and insurgents will
come tomorrow depends upon the de-
| bate and the attitude OF the insurgents
| when they learn of the plans to de-
prive them Of victory
The adoption of the program agreed
upon today would leave the first six
sections of the bill relating to the
| proposed court of commerce: the sec.
Rtion under which railroads would he
required to furnish applicants witt
written statements Of rates: the pro.
! vision authorizing the commission tc
fix rates upon its own initiative OF
| complaint that existing rates are unjust
and providing for a suspension of 2
change in a rate for a period of 81
days pending investigation as to lis
reasona blenesS.
Senator Elkins, in charge of the bill
| encountered further trouble on the sen.
ate floor today in the opposition OF
Senators from 'intermountain" states
TO the long and short haul system.
With an air of irritation Elkins sale
each community should be permitted tc
enjoy its own advantage and if peo.
pie of the interior wanted advantages
OF coast cities, including cheaper
freight rates due to water competition
they should move outside"
I'VE are not going to get off the
map" exclaimed Smoot hotiy, I'VE are
going TO stay right where we are and
ask congress to right our wrongs"