The Washington herald., 1918-07-09
REPUBLICANS
ARE ANGRY AT
WIREBILL MOVE
Penrose Voices Protest
Against Reporting Meas
ure Without Hearings.
MAKES POINT OF ORDER
MAKES POINT OF ORDER
Hitchcock, Presiding in
Senate, Sustains Throw
ing Back to Committee.


Angry that the Interstate Com
merce Committee of the Senate re-
ported the administration tele-
graph and telephone bill to the noor
this afternoon without granting
hearings to interested parties. Re-
publican Senators, led BY Penrose
of Pennsylvania, forced the bill back
to the committee on q point OF
order.
The reporting of the bill by the
committee after less than two hours
consideration came as a surprise.
Only four out of seven Senators
voted to report the bill immediately.
out Of the full membership Of sew
enteen.
'T don't think a more high handed
thing has been done in the history
of any legislative body: not even
in Russia" said Senator Penrose.
T speak coolly, but my tndfgna-
be in the war for liberty. but here
and violated. The chairman of the
f5dlECrCu- toeDNhCh - WV
poraps guard. and now Il has turned
out that, by the narrow majority Of
one vote. this bill is reported with
out chance Of hearing for any
one.
The Pennsylvania Senator made The
point of order that bills could not be
reported out of committee unless By
half of q majority Of the fun mefri-
bcrship. Smith. Of South Carolina,
the Interstate Commerce Committee
chairman, insisted that the Senate
had long since recognized the exis-
terce of a working quorum OF
committee. But Hitchcock. Of Ne
braska, who occupied the chair, res
ognized the point Of order made by
Penrose This threw the bill back
into the committee.
VIII Meet Today.
That body will meet today and de-
termine whether hearings will be
held. It Is believed now that the
committee will not be able to with
stand the pressure and will allow
witnesses to be heard before the oil
Is again reported.
One Of the committee members,
Pomerene, Of Ohio. who had been act
ing chairman until Smiths return
yesterday, insisted upon this at -he
meeting yesterday. He was outvoted.
Those who attended the COMMITTEES
meeting were Pomerene, kellogg,
Myers, Smith, Salisbury, Underwood
and Lewis. Kellogg and Myers voted
with Senator Pomerene. but the four
othec Senators voted to put the bill
out at once. Gore and Poindexter
were present for a short time. but
had to return to the floor before the
vote.
The first intimation Of the COM
mittee action came when Smith. Un-
derwood and Kellogg suddenly ap-
peared at 4 .. nj. Smith bore the
report in his hand. As soon as he
presented 1t, Penrose asked II hear
ings were not contemplated. ....
THE committee thought other
wise" replied Smith.
But were not requests for hear
ings nader asked Penrose.
Members Left City.
"The chairman received none"
But" said Penrose, only one
member OF the minority party. Mr..
Kellogg, was present at the meeting.
Minority Senators left Washington
Saturday under the assurance that
hearings were to be held The
chairman gave the assurance"
The chairman was not present
Saturday." said Smith.
What he meant was that on Sat-
urday the acting chairman Of the
committee Senator Pomerene. said
that hearings would be held. Smith
on his return yesterday decided
otherwise.
IT want to say nobody tried to
take snap Judgment on this matter.
The committee acted with full
knowledge Of the facts" said Smith.
Last Saturday there was not a
single Senator who did not UNDER
stand hearings would be held" put
in Senator Smoot. from the Repub-
lican side.
Senator Smith insisted that the
committee action was taken SO the
Senate instead OF the committee
could pass upon the bill.
Here Senator Reed, Of Missouri
injected q note that had been sound
ed in the House. but not until that
time in the Senate.
was the SUBJECT OF who VIII con-
troll the great agencies discussed in
the committeeT he inquired. =
Senator Kellogg said the committee
session was executive and referred his
inquirer to Senator Smith. The chair
man remained silent and Senator Reed
said:
who's going to make the determi-
nation on these telegraph lines? VIII
1t be the President, or Postmaster
General. or Mr.. David ]. Lewis, or
who? That's q vital question"
Senator Penrose said bitterly:
The whole thing is subversive of
CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO.
Serb Captives Of Austria Die.
Rome. July s.-Neariy 100 per cent of
the Serbian prisoners In Austria have
died. says an Italian medical officer
returned from imprisonment in
Austria. In Mathausen Cemetery
alone som Serb r,risoners are h,,ried