Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-05-28
Proposition to Place Telephone
and Telegraph Lines Under
Supervision of Commerce
Commission Sprung in Senate
PROVISION SIMILAR
TO THAT IN HOUSE BILL
Action in Senate lrSureS Its in
CIusion in Measure as 1t viii
Go to President Vote Ex-
pected Today
10y Morning Journal sarciaI Leased wirel

! peCled 0Qdy,
IBy Morning Journal saecial Leased WireI
Washington, May 27-At the last
moment before reaching the point
iof voting upon the railroad bin to-
day, the senate took the important
step Of adding an amendment placing
interstate telegraph and telephone
! lines under the supervision of the in
terstate commerce commission. This
faction was followed by an effort to re
store portion of section -, affect
ing mergers, which heretofore was
voted out.
Both provisions were introduced go
suddenly as to surprise the senate and
the latter was considered so import
ant that rather than vote upon it
without more consideration than it
was able To give, the senate adjourn
ed until tomorrow.
The action of the senate on telc-
graph and telephone companies in
sures their inclusion in some form in
the proposed law as the subject is in
cluded in the house bill.
The suggestion for the inclusion Of
telegraph and telephone companies
within the control Of the interstate
commerce com mmission was made by
Senator Dixon Of Montana, but ulti-
mately his amendment was supplant-
ed L. one in simpler form which WAS
offered by Senator LalFollette
The senate reached the voting stage
at O'Clock after an animated debate.
which WAS carried on largely on the
democratic side Of the chamber and
which dealt especially with the ques-
tion as to whether the DolliVer amend |
ment regulating the stock and bond /
issues of railroads. was in accordance |
with the last democratic platform.
Ii had been supposed that acting |
upon the Dolliver provision would be !
followed by votes upon the physical |
valuation amendment offered by Mr.
LaFollette and the National lncorpor- /
alton amendment of Senator New
lands. When therefore. Mr. Dixon |
was recognized to present his tele-
graph amendment some surprise was
The amendment was in
the exact language of the telegraph
provision carried by the house bill
and it purported to re-enact the first |
section of the present interstate com
nerce law, with telegraph ana tele-
phone companies added
1t covered nine pages and much OBJ
ecuon 10 voting upon 1t without an
opportunity for examination was oX-
pressed Even Mr.. Dixon himself was
Unable to state whether the provision
vas an exact reproduction OF the
PRESENT law with the additions men
Toned, ana g number Of senator's pro-
ested against putting N to a vote.
several suggestions for adjournment
we're made. Gultimatelv Senator
3randegee moved to Law the amend
nent on the table, but this motion
vas lost, 22 to 81.
While the discussion ana the Vot-
ng were in progress Senator LaFol-
cite busted himself with the prepara-
ion of an amendment which was I'm
o simple form and direct that sena-
ors could have no difficulty in com
it, Mr.. Dixon indicated "a
willingness to accept this provision in
lace of his own and It went through
tthout discussion il
An exception of wireless telegraph ,
ompanies was made at the sugges-
ION of senator Hcyburn. "
The result of the vote had no soon b
+ been announced than Mr. Brown u
I Nebraska offered his amendment n
eviving portion Of section u. The
mendment prohibits all common car Il
lers from acquiring any interest a
'hatsoever in the capital stock of or or
urchasing or leasing any railroad n
'hieh is competitive with that of the A
urchasing company A fine of $4,000 a
imposed for each days violation of p
ais provision. ~
The suggestion Of this important h
ction, following closely rs ii did upon -,
ne vote 20 place telegraph and tele-
none companies under the control or ~
ne commission was more than the In
mate was willing 10 accept without ~
lore opportunity for deliberation. il
Many protests against immediate I,
etion were uttered, and when Sena- i
n Sacon moved To adjourn "A large A.
dmber OF senators asquicsced Bv a la,
sung vote the senate decided 81 10
I. to adjourn. 49,
The DolliNer amendment on which
he ilrst vote of the day was taken N,
as lost by the decisive vote of 10 Ia ~
t. The affirmative vote was cast bv i'm
essrs. Beveridge. Borah. Bourne. Ia.
ristow, Browneil, Burkett. burton
APP crawford. cummins. Dixon. cd
eiilNer' Gamble. Jones, LaFolletto.
pnbhcans, and Chamberlain. New A
nus ana Purcell and Stone. demo- ~
ats.
Speeches favorable to the Dolliver
nendment were made by Senators
mes and Stone. and against il bv
majors Bailey Hughes and Ravner.
the opposition was on the ground nt
eonsttutonalty. Mr. Stone con- 50
hded TOT the support of the amend IA
eht on the ground that IL was in ac- to
rd with the democratic platform. az
Ills speech aroused Mr.. Hughes. who 81,
serted that there was no language
the Denver platform in support or Sa