St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1910-04-29
BRIEF REPORT OF THE DAILY
WORK OF NATIONS LAWMAKERS

tor Dolliver criticising In pointed
Western phraseology the Crawford
Elkins amendment to the traffic agree
ment provision Of the railroad bill ant
Senator Root supporting the same pro
vision In careful legal argument, the
senate today was the scene Of an inter
csting debate.
The Iowa senator showed resentmen,
at the interference of the administra.
tion in the proposed legislation, while
Mr.. Root said the experience Of the
executive branch Of the government
had suggested the necessity for such
legislation.
At the close of the discussion Elkins
made an effort to obtain an agreement
for vote ten days hence, but failed
because Of the objection Of La Toilette.
Declaring the obligations Of the rail.
road companies to be In reality part
Of the public debt, Dolliver said within
the last few years fright under the
nose Of congress and In the midst Of
the Roosevelt era, liabilities have beer
contracted by the railroads exceeding
the 50, 900, 900, 900 Of public debt which
the country found ssddled upon Il al
the close of the civil war. which ou,
children will have 70 nav altar We are
rone.'
These debts have been contracted, he
said, by irresponsible railroad men tc
permit the harmonising Of their inter.
ests and without adding one dollars
worth Of railroad facilities.
He was satisf,ed. whatever was done.
the government should keen an eve or
and control the actions Of the railroads.
He was Of the ouinion that the pondina
bin paralvxes present control.
Washington, April 23.-Reprcsent-
alive Francis Burton Harrison, Of Now
York, introduced q resolution In the
house today calling on the president
for all the facts In connection with the
invest igation and report of solicitor
William p. Hepburn Of the treasury,
upon alleged frauds nj
New York In 1891.
"Colonel Hepburn" said Mr.. Harri-
son today, "has been quoted to the
service. similar 10 those which
Richard Parr claima 10 have discov.
cred. were discovered by him 10 wears
ago. Colonel Hepburn. Mr.. white
head. appraiscr Of the mort Of New
York. and Mr.. Chance. treasury agent.
submitted In 1891 n report showing
that importers were dcfrauding the
Of millions of dollars.
"Whcthcr that rcport was Loaf or
Il In certainly important
that We know whether Il be true that
these customs frauds have been known
20 the government officials for no long.
especially a. Richard Psrr IL now try.
Ing 70 collect several hundred thoussnd
dollars from the government for dis.
covering such frauds."
An understanding was reached TODAY
In the senate committee on privileges
and elections that vote would be tax.
en- next Wednesday on the question of
the bill providing for publ.
city Of contributions 10 national cam.
psign committees.
Washington, April 22. - Beginning
its session at II o'clock today In an
over the questions Of a
quorum, the senate adjourned q few
before 8 o'clock, when Il was
unable 10 muster enough members 10
continue business.
The debate on the section Of the bill
the railroads to enter into
traffic agreements continued through
out the afternoon, the principal partic-
ipants being Senator Crawford,
Clapp, Elkins, Cummins
and Carter.
For the most part the controversy
psrtook Of what TO a laymsn would be
hairsplitting, the chief con-
tention being whether the provision In
agreements "subject to the approval
Of the Interstate Commerce commits
sion' has the effect of requiring this
approval before the agreements take
effect.
After the pros and cons Of this ques-
tion had been presented st some length
Il appeared for . few moments a.
though q vote might be obtained.
The ayes and noes had been ordered
when Senator Dollivsr expressed q de-
sire to be heard on the amendment.
m hour and some friendly senator
raised the point OF no quorum. !,
The Dixon long and snort haul
70 the Eikins interstate
commerce bill now before the senate