Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-12-18
CANNOT FRAME R. R.
LAW BY JANUARY
Strong and Unexpected Opposi-
ton to Cummins Bill Appears
in Senate-Measure Is Nearly
Set Aside
NO LACK OF DEBATE
Whether or Not President VIII Return
Roads to Private Control First of
New Year Is subject on Which No
body Has Information

Washington, Dec 11.-Hope of enact
ing railroad legislation by January I
the date on which President Wilson has
announced the roads would be turned
back to private control, virtually was
abandoned to-day by Senate leaders.
Strong and unexpected opposition de-
veloped during consideration of the
Cummns bill, designed to meet conyli-
tions with the end of government con-
troll, and It was by a slim and narrow
margin that it's advocates defeated a
motion to set it aside and take up the
sugar control measure.
In view of the short time remaining
before the Christmas recess and the
fact that the Cummins bill. IL passed,
must be sent to conference with the
Esch bill, recently passed by the House,
republican and democratic senators
predicted that it would not be possible
to frame law by the end of the
month.
The Cummins bill would have been
passed Monday. with less than a score of
senators voting. except for a demand by
Senator LaFollette, republican, of Wis.,
consn. for quorum. On an aye and
nay vote the bill was passed and Vice.
President Marshall was ready to announce
the result when the obvious absence of
a quorum upset the whole proceeding and
reopened discussion.
During the course Of an address to-day
In which he made sharp demand for
immediate action, Senator Underwood,
democrat. of Alabama, took notice of
widely circulated rumors that the Presi-
dent would not return the roads to their
owners on January /. Senator Under
wood FRANKLY announced that he did not
know what President Wilson would do
But he added. the President has
said that he would turn them back the
first of the year, and It has been my OBJ
servation that when he said he'd do q
thing he did it,"
Taking up for the time being the
minority leadership, Senator Underwood
fought off attempts to sidetrack the rail-
road bill, and defended it against at
lacks by members of his own party.
While he did not approve all of its pro-
visions, the Alabama senator declared
it protected the financial interests Of the
roads and did not unduy burden the
public.
The principal attack on the bill was
made by Senator LaFollette, who al
ready had spoken two full days and who
has not yet approached the end of his
| long address. After he had been steadily
assailing the measure for two hours,
Senator LaFollette temporarily yielded
the floor to Senator McKellar, democrat,
OF tennessee, who was proceeding to de-
mand elimination of certain provisions,
characterized as "Bolshevistic" when he
halted suddenly and announced that he
did not intend to speak to empty benches.
In his argument against the bill Sem
ator LaFollette declared its enactment
would add to the cost of living because
an increase In freight rates would como
with the end Of government control which
he insisted had been eminently SUCCESS
full. Senator LaFollette said he had been
assured by competent men In the rail-
road administration that the crest of
the hill had been reached. and that gov
eminent operation would show profit
from this time on and that there would
be no need for an increase in rates"
Senator McKellar's particular objec-
ton to the Cummins bill was that it
would take a part of the earnings from
a road properly managed and rendering
efficient service, and give 1t to road
poorly managed and OF little benefit to
the public He characterized the provi-
sion as "indefensible" and declared that
there were enough constitutional objec-
tons in the bill to demand immediate re-
consideration.
There was a suggestion from number
of senators after adjournment tonight
that it might be necessary to defer the
Christmas recess.