The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-12
DAYS UPTURN


 Congress kept steadily and continuously at work
 DAYS UPTURN
 The days upturn was keenly disap- pointing to friends of the Cummins bfll, which would have been passed Monday, with less than a score of senators vot- ing, except for a demand by Senator Ia- Toilette. republican. of Wiscon, for a quorum. On yea 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 dis cussion. still intending.
 During the course of an address today in which he made a sharp demand for immediate action, Senator Underwood. democrat, of Alabama took notice of widely circulated rumors that the Presi- dent would not return tho roads to their owners on January 1. Senator Under wood frankly announced that he did not know what President Wilson intended to do.
 But" he added, ''the President has said that he would turn them back the first of the year, and it has been my ob- servation that when he said he'd do a thing he did it.,
 UNDERWOOD IN FIGHT
 Taking up, for the time being, the mi nority leadership. Senator Underwood fought off attempts to sidetrack the rail- road bill. and defended 1t against attacks by members of his own party While he did not approve all of it's provisions. the Alabama senator declared it protected the rinancial interests of the roads and did not unduly burden the public Calling attention to great strikes and industrial disturbances" he said the President had appealed to Congress for. aid and not one line of legislation had been enacted"
 "If the republican party In control of | the Senate adjourns without passing a railroad bill the Alabama senator de- clared. the American people will repu- diate it in every state.' The principal attack on the bf11 was made by Senator TaFoliette, who had al ready spoke two full days. and who has not yet approached the end of his long address. After he had been steadily as sailing the measure for two hours. sena- tor 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 hs halted suddenly and announced that he did not intend to speak to empty benches
 ATTITUDE ATTACKED
 In the long snari in which the Senate found itself while trying to decide in the course of two-hour fight whether to continue with the railroad bill or take up the sugar bill, the lack of interest in rending railroad legislation was bitterly attacked from both sides of the cham Der. Almost an hour wAs lost today in le xvh publican. of Utah. denounced as mex cusable with vitally important measure before Congress. But in the two-hour wrangle-not on the sugar bill itself but the question of taking it up--republcans and democrats had on their fighting ciothes with the discussion running far af.eld
 In his argument against the bill Sem ator LaFollette declared that it's enact ment would add to the cost of living because an increase in freight rates would come with the end of government control. which, he insisted. had been emi- nently successful Senator LaFoilette said he had been assured ''by competent mon in the railroad administration that the crest of the hill had been reached. and that government operation would show profit from this time on and that there would be no need for an increase in rates.''
 
 tion to the Curnmins bill was that 1t would take part of the earnings from a road properly managed and rendering efficient service and give it to road poorly managed and of little benefit to the public He characterized the pro- vision as "indefensible" and declared that there were enough constitutional ob- jections in the bill to demand immediate reconsideration.
 There was a suggestion from a mum Der of senators after adjournment, to- night that it might be necessary to defer the Christmas recess. It also was sue- gested that the Senate endeavor to ob- tain from the President a statement as 10 his plans for the turn back of the roads, in view of his silence on this ques tion since his message to the extraor- dinary session of Congress last May. Some senators thought that if the Presi- dent contemplated any brief delay if would help in the framing of legislation and obviate the risk of unwise provi- sions through hasty action now in the light of strong opposition to the Cum mins bill