Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-14
HOUSE TO AMEND
RAILROAD BILL
ADMINISTRATION MEASURE IS
UNSATISFACTORY
DEBATE ON PROPOSED LAW MAY
LAST SIX WEEKS
Another Presidential Message May
Be Needed to Expedite Action
on Various Features of
Taft Program

WASHINGTON March 13.-Although
identical when introduced in the two
4 houses Of congress, it is now evident
that the measures to create Il court
of commerce and to amend the inter-
state commerce law viii bear no re
semblance to each other when the de
liberations Of the two bodies are CON
Guided.
In the house committee many of the
administration theories on tho issuing
of stocks and bonds and the merging
of non-competinE lines have been
shattered and the end is not i'm sight.
for assaults on the bill will continue
on the floor.
While the opposition 10 the ad8in-
istration bill was not strong enough
to amend tho bill in the senate, il is
conceded several important changes
will he made on the floor of the house.
Debate on the bill will begin either
tomorrow or Tuesday. Senator Cum
minis viii open the discussion in sup
port of certain changes advocated in
The minority report of the senate COM
mittee.
Practically all the "1nsurgent' SON
ators will speak on the railroad Dill
and there will be many speeches. from
the Democratic side. No one estimates
that the debate will be finished IN less
than six weeks. and some senators pre-
dict that much more time viii be con-
stuned.
An effort will he made by the house
committee on Interstate commerce to
report the bill this week. and it is
probable that debate on the same sub
ject will proceed simultaneously at
both ends Of the capitol
Statehood legislation, which has
passed the house, and postal savings
hank legislation, which has passed the
senate. have been sidetraCked for the
administration railroad bill. The pos
tai bank bill. as hearings have been
ordered by the house committee on
postoffices. will not reach the floor for
several weeks, and i'm all probability
not until the session nears its close.
May Need Another Message
Regardless Of the fact that the pos
tai bill the anti-injunction measure,
statehood legislation and the admin
istration conservation measures arc AL
a part of the administration program,
there is not apparent anywhere a pos
tive force pushing them for consider
alton. If the debate on the railroad
bill lags, it may require q presidential
message to instill life into the other
features of the program.
In the house many matters arc pend
ing that will call out sharp debate,
and there is disposition to let some
of them go by the board. These in
clude the Mondell bill, to permit home
stead entry OF the surface of coal
lands. which would involve 10000 0JO
acres: ship subsidy, the construction
of two battleships which may he a
feature of the naval bill. and the issu-
anee of certificates of Indebtedness or
bonds to the amount of $30,oOo,O0O To
complete reclamation projects
Polls arc being taken on the ques-
ton of making appropriations to con
struct battleships and the question of
anti-iniunction legislation along the
line of the Moon bill.
The preliminary count is said to he
opposed to the battleships. but the at
titude of the house on the Moon bill
has not been disclosed