Arizona republican., 1919-12-12
ABANDON H0PE IF R.R.LEG|S[AT|ON bEF FORE NEW YEAR
Measure to Meet Conditions After U. 5. Control Ends Meets Strong Opposition Not Enough Time Left to Push Bill Through
LRepubIican A. p. Leased Wire]


 WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.-Hope of enacting railroad legislation by Janu- ary l, the day upon which President Wilson has announced the roads would be turned back to private control, yir- tually was abandoned today by senate leaders.
 Strong and unexpected opposition developed during consideration of the Cummins bill designed to meet con- ditions with the end of government control and it was by slim and mar row margin that it's advocates defeat ed 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 if passed, must be sent to conference with the Eseh bill recently passed by the house, republicans and democratic senators predicted that it would not be human ly possible to frame a law by the end of the month, even if congress kept steady and continuously at work.
 Disappointing.
 The days upturn was keenly diSap- pointing to friends of the Cummins bill, which would have been passed
  ators voting, except for a demand by Senator La Toilette, republican of Wisconsin, for a quorum. On a nay and aye vote, the bill was passed and Vice President Marshall was ready to announce the result when the obvious absence of q quorum upset the whole proceeding and reopened discussion.
 During an address today, in which he da O esl1 ,1d 4n action. Senator Underwood, democrat of Alabama, took notice of widely cir culated rumors that the president would not return the roads to their owners January l.
 Senator Underwood frankly an. nounced that he did not know what President Wilson intended to do.
 But he added, the president has said that he would turn them bacl | the first or the year, and it has beer my observation that when he said he would do thing he did it
 ] Defends Bill.
 1 Taking up for the time being tht i minority leadership, Senator Under i wood fought off attempts to sidetraci l the railroad bill, and defended i against attacks by members of hi ! own party, While he did not approv' 1 all of it's provisions, he declared i i protected the financial interests of tn roads and did not unduly burden tn i public.
 The principal attack on the bill wa 1 made by Senator La Toilette, who al ready had spoken two full days an, 1 who has not yet approached the ent i of his long address. After he hal been steadily opposing the measur for two hours, Senator La Follett l temporarily yielded the floor to Sena I tor McKellar, democrat, Tennessee who was proceeding to demand elim ination of certain provisions, charac terized as "Bolshevistic," when h halted suddenly and announced tha he did not intend to speak to empt, 1 benches.
 Lack of interest Attacked. l In the long snarl which the senat found itself while trying to decid l whether to continue with the railroa I bill or take up the sugar bill, the lacl of interest in pending railroad legis ation was bittery attacked from bot sides of the chamber Almost an hou was lost today in quorum calls whic i Senator Shoot republican, Utah. de ! nounced as inexcusable, with @ vitall . important question before congres: : But in the two hour wrangle-not o the sugar bill itself, but the @Questio of taking it up-republicans and dem ocrats had on their fighting clothes with the discussion running far afielt Tn his argument against the bil Senator La Toilette declared it's en : actment would add to the cost of livir because an increase in freight rate } would come with the end of govern l ment control, which he insisted ha been eminently successful.
 There was a suggestion from a mum Der of senators after adjournment to } night that it might be necessary defer the Christmas recess. It As was suggested that the senate CT l deavor to obtain from the presid0 , a statement as to his plans for th r turning back of the roads, in view ( his silence on this question since h. message to the extraordinary sessio s of congress last May.