The Washington times., 1912-11-27
RAILROAD BILLS
REAOYFORCONGRESS
MOST IMPORTANT
Tennessean Will Press Meas.
ure Permitting Uniform
classification,

In View Of the fact that the railroads
are seeking large increases In freight
rates. special importance will attach
to the railroad bills which will be con.
sidered In Congress this winter. While
the short session is not favorable to tho
enactment OF much general legislation.
efforts will be made to put through
railroad measures Of moment. This will
be especially true Of the House.
Congressman Sims Of Tennessee, one
OF the veterans Of the House and prom.
inent az rcmber Of the House Inter-
state Commerce Committee. will press
for passase several bills which no has
already introduced.
One Of these 10 the uniform ciassif,ca.
tion bill. 1t 10 one Of the most far.
reaching measures relating to Federal
regulation OF interstate commerce which
Ia proposed. 1t 10 the same a. the Sen.
ator Kenyon bill. which has already
passed the Senate.
Allows Uniform Classification.
1t would give the Interstate Commerce
Commission authority to make n uni.
form classification Of freights for the
entire country. The other day. the
state railroad commissioner. In con.
vention here. unanimously indorsed the
uniform classification measure, The
iact the state commissions are all for
II. despite the Increase Of Federal power
over rates which It means. will give II
strong backing In the House, and will
draw much more consideratio for II
than It would otherwise receive At the
short session,
Tho leu ulo n io,. q. ~,,Aos..
shipping interests. The controversy
over what IL known as Western cisssi.
tcation No. 81. by which, the roads are
seeking TO- put into effect q new ciassi.
f,eation which which would increase rates on
many articles In most Of the territory
west OF the Mississippi river, 10 helpIns
along the movement for such lesIsla.
Would Prevent Suits.
Judge Sims has another bill Of nrst
class Importance to railroads and ship.
pers which he Is going to urge. This
bill requires that. In a case where the
interstate Commerce Commission re-.
duces rate and the roads affected seer
TO get the reduced rate enjoined. the
under control OF the court, the aifSsr'
er rate. >''S '""
II the railroads win. they get this
iund: u they lose. the money Ia TO he
distributed among the shippers, This
measure. enacted. would 70 far 70
s,op the Efforts OF the railroads DER.
sistently 20 hold up the orders Of the
commission with injunctions.
Last session. Judge Sims led the fiRht
for npolltion Of the Commerce Court.
II Will not be necessary for him to re-.
new that night The court has been an
-r3priat'd for only until March I, The
legislative. executive and judicial bill
being made up now and the House
VIII pass II without any appropriation
.or the maintenance OF the court after
March I. The result will be that IL will
pass out OF existence.
In theory. the court could continue.
50 long as II Is not abolished, but a.
practical fact. II will not do 20. The
Judges OF the court win be circui,
Judges and receive salary as such afte-
March 4. just as they do now. But the
funds will be lacking for the organise.
Ion OF the court. The officials OF tn,
court Will have to hunt other jobs un.
ess some private individual endows
them. and nobody looks for that.
May Reopen Canal Fight.
A student OF Panama canal affairs,
Judge Sims. will press for the rspea, OF
the provision for free tolls for Ameri.
can vessels In the coastwise trade. :,
| 8 doubtful whether this will pass. The
discussion OF II. however, Ia going ia
'eopen the fght over the alleged mo.
Topoly in the coastwise shipping bust
| ness. The movement to open American
coastwise trade to foreign vessels Will
be renewed.