Norwich bulletin., 1918-02-23
ADMINISTRATION RAILROAD
 BILL PASSES IN ,sENATI
Provides for Government Control U,f
 til 18 Months After the War

Washington, Feb ,22-The al tration bill, providing for goyer1, 5nt control of railroads until eiglNeen months after the 1sar. including many short linesv and appropriating re- volving fund of s500,000,000 for fed eral operation, was passed today by the senate without q roll cali and now awaits action in the house where it is under debate
 through today's holiday to expedite the legislation. General debate was concluded today in the house and ar arrangements made to consider amend ments tomorrow under five minute debate rule with view to final action early next week. Differences between the senate and house drafts then will
 be adjusted in conference.
 No Evidence of Sentiment.
 Neither on final passage l'or ou au-
 n1erous roll calls today in the senate.
 was there any record of sentiment on
 the bill as q whole. Tine agree1nent. Gf the senate interstate coiunerce committee under which the connpro-,
 mise draft was brought in virtually precluded important revision The only amendment radically changing the
 compromise draft provided for in
 clusion of short liae' railroads in federal control and benefts.i
 Compromise Provisions Retained Provisions of the comIIitte,e conf promise. fixing the compensation of railroads to the three year basis. pro- viding -he $56o. .GGG,000 revolving fund appropriGtion, authorizing the pres ident to initiate rates subject to In terstate Commerce Commission veto, and irnitin.; government control to F=:t@ll'eet 1loittils after tire war, all 1 were retained by tfe senate.
 5'1scne.,i1snte, to raeuce the period of c9nir3i after peace is declared failed | Ohe bS Senator Lodge of Massacllu- sets to make the time limit six
 nzontis instead of eighteen months
 was defeated, 47 to 2S and another by Senator King of Utah to make the period twelve months likewise was rejected, 45 to go. There was no att tempt to revive the fight for indefin- ite government control, which was de- feated yesterday by the decisive vote of 61 to 10.
 Short Line" Railroads. Provision for tn e"short line" rail-
 roads was made in an amendment by
 Senator Cummins of Iowa. adopted
 sS to 14. Independent ..feederss of the
 trunk lines estimlatedi to be, worth
 more than a billion dollars are affect- ed. Fears expressed by fnaly sem tatoFs toeiay that the ssst7ort 7 Iines'' kNoald become rbanlsdilpt if not E9fpitg}st within ffineTlt cohtroa Eswas the basis. of@the senatess action. | Director General AIcAdoo has op- posed the legislation for the short
 lines" on the ground that ne rail : 1 roads except those selected as neces : sary to government unification and successful operation should be brought | within federal direction and aid. | Goyernment Comprehension Stands.
 Determined efforts to reduce. the
 government compensation to railroad Iowners failed. As passed the meas lure provides that approximately s945,G00,0e0 will be guaranteed the carriers, based upon their standard
 net return for the three year reriod ending June 30, 1917. Cumnins' Amendment Defeated. Senator Cumnnins offered .anne,d- ments providing. respectively, .tl-st such net return should not be above five, six and seven per cent. Of their capitalization They were defeated 4e to 19. 45 to A. and 1T to a7. re- spectively. N
 Amendments designed to limit the scope, of the presidents orders ii. op- erating the carriers also were voted down. A proposal by Senator Sterl ing of South Dakota to keep in effect the present laws and functions Eov- erning the Interstate Commerce Com missions was rejected byaa viva voee vote. while one by Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska to limit the presidents orders to act specifically authorized by jaw was beaten. 4s to42a