The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-05-03
RAILROAD BILL
MAY NOT PASS


emascuIated AT the close OF pro-
tractea conference Of leading "regu-
lar" Republican senators tonight, IL
was apparent the revolt OF the sen.
ate ..insur gents" had been virtually
successful and the sections of the bill
relative 10 traffic agreements and mcr-
gers which Senator Cummlns and
other insurgents nave been fighting
to amend will be abandoned.
Practically nothing distinctive Of
the original bill will remain save the
sections providing for the creation of
a court Of commerce, Even that has
had perIlous time In the house and
nobody tonight is prepared to guaran-
tee II will be enacted.
In fact the differences between the
senate and house are 80 great that It
would surprise nobody II the entire
bill should fall IN conference.
Aldrleh Tells Taft.
So serious became the situation Of
the bill late today that President Taft
hlmsclf at Pittsburg was advised Of
the situation over the telephone by
Senator Aldrich
Despsirlng OF putting the bill
through the senate as reported from
the committee on Interstate com
merce, the leaders in this conference
tonight decided 10 eliminate section
Z. which the insurgents claim pracii-
cally would have repealed the Sher-
man antitrust law, permitting traf-
fic agreements. and section IL. which
would have Icgallzed mergers In cases
where one railroad corporation owing
already 30 per cent of another desired
to control outright.
TAFT elames Insurgents.
Upon the insurgents the admins
tratioD Will endeayor to place the re-
sponsibllity for the failure of the Taft
railroad legislation. To Senator Aid.
rich. over the telephone. Mr.. Taft is
soid TO have expressed himself en-
phatically to this effect:
He said he had initiated the pend.
ing measure and had advocated IL
throughout the country. In the form IN
which II was reported to the senate
and if a combination of insurgent Re-
publicans and Democrats rendered II
impossible for the Republican major
ity to enact the bill. he felt the ad.
sponsibility for its defeat He rested
the entire matter In the hands OF Sen.
ator Aldrich and his Republican as
sociates, who were then In conference.
In the conference were Senators
Aldrich, Elkins. Carter, Kean. Crane.
Root. Curtis. Flint Brandegee, Lodge.
and from time 10 time. other Republi.
can leaders. Although admittedly
stopped from passing the bin In tho
form in which they wished. tho admin
istratlon senators at once began the
formulation Of plans TO take away
from the lnsurgent Republicans the
chance TO claim clcan-cut victory
They even wore an air of jubilatlon to-
night over the prospect OF putting the
insurgents" to rout on the pending
Cummins amendment TO the traffic
agreement section, which viii be the
first matter voted upon when the bill
is again takon mp. nerhaps tomorrow
Cummins' Amendment.
When the original Cummins
to this section. intro
duced az a substitute for the Elkins.
Crawford provision. was voted upon
the administration senators
won by margin of six votes II was
generally supposed this vote consti
tuted n test Of succeeding votes and
that the Elkins-Crawford amendment,
which It's opponents charged was
bold method of repeating the Sherman
law so far as its application
to railroads is concerned. would be
But there were so many
absentees on Saturday that the result
With the full membership present
could not be foretold
From message received from some
Of the absentees. II was evident the
regular Republicans would meet with
reversal on the next vote. for under
the senate rules. a vote easily could
be delayed until the arrival of the
absenteeS. After the vote Saturday
Senator Cummins Immediately offered
another amendment TO accomplish the
same purpose as that which had just !
been voted down.
As the pending Cummins amend
nent is offered as a substitute for |
he Elkins-Crawford provision no mo. ,
Ion can side track this provision: it I
must be disposed OF before any other |
tep can be taken. That Is. the ad- |
senators believe they |
,ave the whip hand OF their oppon-
nts. The Republican leaders discov-
red there were certain members who |
referred the Cummlns to the Elkins- |
,rawford amendment but were on
oscd to the entire traffic agreement |
ection.
The chamber OF the senate and the |
everal adjacent committee rooms oc-
upied by leaders have not been the
Genes Of so much jockying over legls-
alton since the making of the famous
Allison compromise TO the Hepburn
ate law four years ago AS in that
ase, the radical move taken by those
4 charge OF the bill came like bolt
rom the blue sky That the admins
ration had not the votes to carry
ut its program was not generally
Throughout tooay efforts were made
, effect an agreement between those
ho favored the Cummins amendment
nd those who supported the EllSins.
rawford provision The first would
equIre all traffic agreements AMI
hnnges Of rates TO be approved by
lie Interstate commerce commission
efore taking effect. The latter would
lake traffic agreements lawful under
le sherman law. but would not re-
uire that rates made by railroads
hould be submitted TO the committee
J advance.
The Insurgents believed victory was
ithin their grasp. After the adjourn