Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-09
WIRE BILL is SENT
BACK TO COMMITTEE
Measure Reported to Senate Af-
ter Less Than Two Hours
Deliberation.
ACTION CALLED GH-HANDED
Question of Holding Public Hear
ings Will Be Determined
To-Day.
ACTION CALLED HIGH HANDED


mercc Committee Of the Senate report
cd tho administration telegraph nMd
telephone bill to the floor this after
room without granting hearings TO am
interested parties Republican Senators.
led by PenTose. Of Pennsylvania. forced
the bill back 10 the committee on
point OF order.
The reporting Of tho bill by the com
mittec aftcr less than two hours OF
consideration came as a complete sur
prise. Only four out Of seven Senator's
voted 10 report the bill Immediately
and the seven who attended the COM
mittce meeting are out OF a full mem
bership of seventeen.
81 do not think Il moro highhandcd
thing has been done in the history of
any Legislative body; not even In Rus
sia." said Senator Penrose. II speak
coolly. but my Indignation runs high
We arc supposed 20 be in the war for
liberty. but here In the Senate liberty Is
outraged and violated. The chairman
of the committee gathered together .
corporal's guard And now it has
turned on, that by the narrow major
ity of one vote. this bill is reported
without q chance of a hearing Tor hny
one"
The Pennsylvania Senator made the
point G. order that bills could not be
reported out OF committee unless by
half of majority OF the full! member
ship. Smith of South Carolina. the In
terstatc Commerce Committee chair
man. insisted that the Senate had long
since recognized the existence of a
working quorum Of committee. Bnt
Hitchcock. OF Nebraska. who occupied
the chair. recognized the point of ordc'
made by Pcnrose. This threw the hill
back into tho committee
That body wil meet Tomorrow ami
VIII doterminn whether hearings Will
be held. 1t is believed now that tn.
committee will not be able to with
stand the pressure and will allow wit
nesses TO be heard before the bill is
again reonrted. :;
One OF the committee members. Pom
creme. OF ohio. who has been acting
chairman until Smiths return today.
insisted upon this at the meeting to
day. But he was outvoted. He wished!
TO give day each to the Eovarm:nc-.,
officials. telegraph and telephone Off
Gals and telegraph employees.
Those who attended the committee
were romererc. Kellogg, Myers. Smit:.
Salisbury. Underwood and Lewis Kcl-
logg and Myers voted with Senator
pomercnc. but tho four other Senators
"oted TO put the bill out at once Gore
and PoindeNt'r were also present for
n short time hut had to return to the
tloor before the vote.
The first intimation OF the commit
tee action came when Smith. Under
wood and kellogg suddenly appeared
n y. ". Smith bore the report
in his hand As soon as he presented
il. Pcnrose asked IL hearings were not
contemplated
The committee thought otherwise"
replied Smith.
But" said Pcnrosc. only one NOM
be: OF the minority party. Mr.. kellogg.
was present at the meeting Minority
Senator's left Washington Saturday un-
der the assurance that the hearings
were To be held. The chairman gave
the assurance"
The rhri,"0"n was not present Sntur-
day said Smith.
saturday ihe acting chairman of tho
committee. Senator pomcrene. had said
tia. hearings would be held. Smith
q" h's return to-day evidently decided
otherwise.
Il want To say nobody tried TO take
snap Judgment OH this matter. The
committee acted with full knowledge
of the facts" said Smith.
Last Saturday there was not a sim
gle Senator who did not understand
hearings would be held put i'm Senator
Snoot. from the Republican side.
Senator Smith insisted that the COM
mittee action was taken so the Senate
instead of the committee. could pass
upon the bill Senator Kellogg showed
where he stoo' hy dcploring the fact
that no consideration" whatever had
been given the bill.
Senator PenroSc said bitterly:
The waoic thing is subversive of
the principles of the Senate. The mi
noriiy members might as we'll with
draw. When tie American people learn
what i; going on there will be an
avalanche of protest, disapproval and
reputation.
The committee chairman calls
meeting without even giving notice.
Can he defend his uctiom?"
The Senator knows the authority
will be given TO the President: the
only question is compensation" replied
Smith,