The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-09
WIRE CONTROL BILL
IS RECALLED BACK
TO THE COMMITTEE
Republicans Force Meas
ure Back After Had
Reached Senate.
ARE. ASTONISHED
Committee Grants No
Hearings to Any Inter
ested Parties Before
Making Report.
A r E ASTONlSHED


end indignant that the interstate COM
oerce committee of The senate report
I'd the administration telegraph and
Aeiephone blu TO the floor th.s after
coon without granting hearings to
Nny interested parties. Republican,
senators. led by Penrose. OF Fennsyl-
sania. forced the bin back 10 the
sS<n mittee on "a point OF order.
The reporting Of the bal by the
committee, after less than TWO hours
Of consideration. came as a complete
surprise Only four out OF seven SEN
ators voted to report the bN immedl-
ately, and the seven who attended the
committee meeting are but fuIl
membership Of seventeen
Il do not think more high hand p
ed thing has been done lu ;he history
of any legislative body. not even IN
Russia, said senator Ienrosc. Il
speak coolly, but ms Indignation runs
high We are supposed 10 h- In the
war for liberty, bur here IN tho sen
ate liberty j. outraged and violated.
The chairman Of tho committee gath
cred together 4 corr otaIs guard And
now it has turned cut that by the mar
row majority af ouc vote. thiS Uiil IS
reported without a chance OF hear
ing for any one.
The Pennsy lsania senator made the
point of order that bills could not be
reported our OF committee unless by
half of a majority OF the fun mem
bership. Smith, Of South Carolina.
the interstate commerce committee
chairman, insisted that the senate had
long since recognized the existence OF
a working quorum 81 a committee.
But Hitchcock. of Nebraska. who oc-
cupied tina craftsmanship recognized
the point of order made h Penrosc.
This threw the hi, back INTO the COM
mittee.
To Determine tpon Hearings
That body Will meet tomorrow and
will determine whether hearings Will
be held. II is believed now that the
committee will not he able to With
stand the pressure and viii allow wit
nesses to be heard before the hill Is
again reported.
One OF the committee members
Pomerene. OF Ohio, who has been act
ing chairman until smith return to-
day. insisted upon this at the meeting
today. But he was outvoted lie
eminent officials, telegraph and tele-
phone officials ard telegraph en-
ployes
Those who attended the committee
were Pomerene. Kellogg, Myers
Smith. Sauisburg. Underwood and
Lewis. Kellogg and Myers voted with
Senator Pomerere. but the four other
senators voted TO nut the hill out at
once. Gore and Poindexter were also
present for a short time. bat had TO
return 10 the floor before the vote
The first intimaton Of the commit
tee action came when smith. Under
wood and Kellogg suddenly appeared
at p NJ Smith bore the report in
his hand As soon as he presented II.
Penrose asked If hearings were not
contemplated
The committee thought otherwise. !"
replied Smith
But were not requests for hearings
made" asked Penrose.
The chairman received none"
but" said Penrose, only one mem
Der OF the minority party. Mr.. Kellogg.
was present at the meeting. Minority
senators left Washing on Saturday
under the assurance thar the hearings
were to be held. The chairman gave
the assurance"
The chairman was not present Sat
urday," said Smith
Saturday the acting chairman of
the committee. senator Pomerene. had
said that hearings would he held.
Smith on his return today evidently
decided otherwise.
Il want to say nobody tried to take
snap judgment on this matter. The
committee acted with futf knowiedge
of the facts" said Smith.
Last Saturday there was not
single senator who did not understand
hearings would be held" put in SEN
ator Smoot, from the Republican side.
Senator Smith insisted that the com
mitteo action was taken so the sem
ate. instead of the committee. could
pass upon the bill. Senator kellogg
showed where he stood by deploring
the fact that mo consideration" what
ever had been given the bill.
Has the subject of who will con-
troll the greater agencies been discuss
ed in the committee" he inquired
pointedly.
Senator Kellogg said the committee
session was executive and referred his
inquiry to Senator Smith. The chair
man remained silent and Senator Reed
said:
Question Is "Who?"
Who Is going to make the de-
termination of these telegraph lines?
VIII 1t be the president or postmaster
general. or Mr.. David J. Lewis or
who--that is a vital question"
Senator Penrose said bitterly:
Tho whole thing Is subsersive OF
7 the principles of the senate. The
minority members might as we'll with
draw. When the American people
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