St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-07-29

their merits and their short
comings and thus give oppor-
tunity to define what further
renledical legislation is need
ed"
Following this advice of the Pres
ident, the Congress did not attempt,
during the short session, to further
legislate along interstate commerce
lines.
But, when the Congress recon
Vened December 8, 1907, President
Roosevelt in his message, again call
ed attention to the matter by recog-
nizing the steady progress with
which the subject had been pursued
by the Congress, saying:
There must be no halt in
the healthy constructive course
of action which this Nation has
elected to pursue, and has stead
lily pursued, during the six
years, as shown both in the
legislation of the Congress and
the administration of the law
by the Department of Justice"
Commission Said Wait.
The reports of the Interstate Com
merce Commission for 1903 and
1909 verify the force of President
Roosevelt's statement, made in 1905,
that:
cit may be best to wait un-
til the laws have been in opera
ton for a number of months
before endeavoring to increase
their scope because only opera
ton will show with exactness
their merits and their short
comings and thus give opportun-
ity to define what further rem
edical legislation is needed
From these reports it appears that
various appeals were taken from the
decisions of the Commission, but
that down to 1909 only one had been
decided by the Supreme Court of the
United States, although five others
had been argued and submitted to
that tribunal in October of that year.
The Mann-EIIxins Bill.
Early in 1910 the time arrived
for further action. President Taft
in his message of January Z, 1910,
foreseeing the vast volume of liti-
cation that must necessarily arise
as a result of the broad and increas-
ed powers which had been conferred
upon the Interstate Commerce Com
A4A6G4OAy anu LAlC- LdpA0Ay
volume of it's operation, and know
ing also, the crowded condition Of
the docket of the Supreme Court of
the United States, recommended |
the establishment of a United States |
Commerce Court, giving to it ex-
elusive original Jurisdiction of cases |
which would otherwise go to the
Supreme Court of the United States |
for final adjudication
In the following month, and on !
February rs, 1910, measure
known as the "Mann-EIkins Rail-
road Bill was reported out by the |
Committee on Interstate Commerce, |
and found it's place on the calendar
Of the Senate that day.
This bill provided for the estab- |
ishment of a United States Com
nerce Court. 1t broadened the |
of the Commission so as |
10 include through routes and joint |
rates, freight classification, long and |
short hauls, Investigations on its own
notion, determining reasonable
'ates. suspension of proposed rates,
md many other matters. 1t also
authorized the President to appoint
special commission to Investigate
questions pertaining to the issuance
II railroad STOCKS ana ponds, Whlcn
vas preliminary to any action of the
congress which might be required
n that subject.
Get Solid Republican Vote.
Almost Immediately this bill was
AIKEN up for consideration and re-
1ained before the Senate until June
+, 1910, when it was passed by a
ote of SO yeas to IL nays, every
epublican present voting for it, and
. also received the support of six
emocrats. 1t became a law June
g, 1910.
l favored this measure and voted
Dr. it. The record fails to show a
ingle instance where ! bitterly OPP
osed" railroad regulation.
notwithstanding the provision
the appointment of a