The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-11
Not a Single Dissenting
Republican Vote Cast
for Measure.
TAFT PLEASED
WITH OUTCOME
Fourteen Democrats Join with
Majority in Favor of Meas
ure c m m rec Court
Clause Kept In by Com
Portable Margin--senate
Soon to Take Action.


Soon to Take Action.
Washington, D. c., May 1o.-With.
out "a single dissenting Republican
vote. the House to-day passed the rail-
road bin. one of the chief measures
that President Taft wished enacted
at The present session of Congress.
Not only did every Republican placs
himself on the side 1.-THE measure.
either by his votesor by being paired
IN its favor. but fourteen Democrats
I! joined the majority; to make the total
vote " favor of the measure 200 to
| 126. President Taft Tonight sa.d he
was deeply grained over the passage
OF the measure He was especially
pleased with tho comfortable margin
by which the Commerce Court feature
| was Kept in the bill for he regards z
/ thls court as probably the most i'm.
! portant forward step in the proposed;
law.
AS to the amendments and additional
/ provisions added in the, House, the
| President said he did not feel that this
| was the time to discuss them, nor that
ne was fully enough acquainted with
the changes to discuss them. Referring
TO the clause providing for the ply
steal valuation of railroads. Mr. Taft
pointed out that the power practically
now rests with the Interstate Com
nerce Commission. and that the diff
Guilty in carrying out such plan al
ways lad been found in the encr-
| NOUS cost of the undertaking.
/ When all tho amendments adopted
t4by the HOUSE NJ ,tfss.in gomniittee of
4 the who. ahats been reed TO-.
anlson, of Georgia. senior Democratic
4 member of the minority on the COM
| mittee reporting the bill. moved to
reconlmit it to the committee with in
/ structions that 1t be reported back
with the Commerce Court clause
stricken out. This motion was defeat
/ ed. 157 to 1T6.
! Existing Laws Changed.
| The bill makes many changes In the
existing law that. If accepted by the
Senate. will greatly affect interstate
commerce. Tho Court of Commerce is
created to adjudicate cases on appeal
from the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. 1t is provided that this
court shall be organized by the JUS
tees OF the Supreme Court Of the
United States. future appointments to
membership on the court to be made
by them.
Stock and bond issues Of railroads
are controlled by the bill.
Under this clause a railroad. before
Issuing any additional stock, must OBJ
tain an order from the commission.
Which must, among other things, fix
the prices by which the securities OF
the road may be sold. BY similar
clause, provision is carried, In respect
to railroads. which are organized
through the courts, a provision Is
made that upon the Reorganization OF
a railroad through court proceedings.
c nv "a a
more than fair value of the prop
erty.
The long and short haul clause OF
the measure provides that railroad
cannot. without first gaining permis.
sion charge more for a short than for
long haul over the same line.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion alsois given authority, whenever
new rate is proposed. to suspend the
of four months, so that the commits
sion shall have an opportunity TO con-
slider its reasonableness
AS amended, the bill proposes to
bring the telephone and telegraph
companies under the control of the In
terstate Commerce Commission. 1t
provides for the valuation of railroad
property as an aid to the commission
in consideration of railroad rates
Authority Greatly Increased.
The bill gives to the commission au-
thority over classifications, regula-
tions and practices of railroads, ail-
thority at the present time being lin.
tied to rates and matters affecting
rates.
Under its terms a railroad company
must quote a freight rate accurately
shipper is given the right to route his
freight whenever II passes over more
than one railroad The commission IT
self is authorized to establish through
routes. by combining different rail-
road systems at its discretion, where
as, pnder the present law II cannot
make a new through route If such
route Is already esta blished.
Severe penalties are provided against
shippers who, through false claims for
damages or loss of property obtain
secret rebates.
The pe.,aeHatic Course.
Champ Clark, leader OF the Demo-
cratic minority, explaining the Demo.
cratic course in opposing the bill on
final vote said
"The Democrats who voted aganat
the bill did so hocause they considered g
that there were more bad features tn q
the bill than there We're good onas.
When 1T was first brought into the All
House 1t was railroad bill pure and r
siuple 1t was drawn In their inter-
ests. Not railroad lobbyist appeared
around the halls OF Congress in oDpo-
sition to this bill. which speaks more M
eloailently than many volumes could iii
do that the railroads We're In faYeri Of
this legislation, s.
II "Every amendment that was adopted NJ
in the House helped the bill but therA Ss
We've not enough Of thom. Had the ~
Court of Commerce Feature and some A3
parts OF sections 13, "a and l5 been q