The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-11-12
RAIL RATESTO
Be CENTER OF
WEEKS CLASH
State Commissions Control Object
of Congressional Battle; War
GRAFT Bill Delayed.
Washington News Bureau
Rock Island Argus

SN1IG Edles anu " Eepeal Inc u1dlA
provisions Of the Esch-Cummins
railroad law OF 1920 will open in
the senate Monday.
The senate will take up for con-
sideration Monday the railroad re-
funding bill, which authorizes the
president to buy and sell railroad
securities to make available $780,
000,o 900 for the settlement of rail-
road claims against the govern
ment. Senators Mckinley and Nc
Cormick are supporting the bill
which passed the house with the
votes of all the downstate members
except Representative Edward j.
King. GaIesburg.
When the refunding bill is taken
up Monday. senators of the agri-
cultural bloc" from the middle
west and south will offer amend
ments repeating the main proyis-
ions of the present law.
A suit is now pending here be-
fore the supreme court, brought in
behalf of the rate making commits
sions of Illinois and other states,
attacking the exercise of control
over intrastate railroad rates by
the interstate commerce commits
sion.
A delegation Of downstate Illi-
noisans appeared before the inter
state commerce commission recent
ly in the hearing on rates on grain
in the middle western states and
protested against the 40 per cent
increase in freight rates put into
effect in Illinois last year in COM
pliance with the 51z per cent rate
guaranty of the Esch-Cummins
law.
Get Grain Rate.
The Illinois delegation was head
ed by Frank l.. Smith, chairman OF
the Illinois commerce commission.
and H. M. Slater, Springfield, trans
portation expert for the commerce
commission Attorney Clifford
Thorne, Chicago, representing the
American Farm Bureau Federation,
which claims $4,000 members in
dOwnstate Illinois, and Ray Will
liams, representing the board of
trade of Cairo, were also in the
delegation
The Illinoisans induced the COM
mission to include the whole state
in the reduction of rates on grain
ordered a few weeks ago.
Chairman Smith pointed out that
the Esch-Cummins law had in
creased rates in Illinois 40 per
cent, Gut rates in the balance of
the western group of states west of
the Mississippi river 35 per cent,
thus penalizing Illinois 5 per cent
in rates"
The amendments offered in the
senate this week will seek to re-
peal the 512 per cent rate guaranty
of the Esch-Cummins law under
which freight rates were increased
40 per cent in Illinois. Amend
ments in the form of separate bills
providing for the repeal of the rate
guaranty have already been intro
duced by Senators Capper, Repub-
Iican. Kansas; Trammell, Demo
crat, Florida. and LaFollette, Re
publican, Wisconsin. One of these
amendments, and the amendment
restoring control over intrastate
rates to the state commissions, will
be brought in this week in an at
tempt to append them as riders to
the refunding bill
Senators Mckinley and McCor-
mick voted for the original Esch-
Cummins law and are expected to
oppose the amendment.
A trio of Illinois veterans ap-
pointed by Governor Small upon
the recommendation of the Ameri-
can Legion left Washington late
this week after representing the
state at the burial of the unknown
dead at Arlington Friday.
The three officers who represent
ed Illinois were Lieutenant How
ard Knots, Springfield; Major
Thomas L. Fekete, Jr., East ST.
Louis, and Colonel John NJ. Eddy,
Chicago.
The Illinois representatives ar
rived Thursday and on Friday
marched in the procession which
| escorted the body from the capitol
to the national cemetery across the
Potomac.
Saturday morning the 1llinoisan!
called upon members of the state
delegation in the house and senate
| before returning to 1llinoish.
| Illinois members of the hous'
! this week prepared for a struggi'
over the surtax on incomes wheel
the revenue bill is reported from
the conference committee for fina
! passage.
A majority of the downstate Hi
nois members voted for surtax o
| 50 per cent on incomes of NOR
than $685. 900 per annum when thu
bill first passed the house in Au
gust. The senate raised the surta.
/ rate to SO per cent. An attempt il
now being made by administration
| leaders to reduce the rate to th'
| level fixed in the house bill, whilt
the bill is in the hands of the con
| ference committee.
| Representative Edward J. King
Galesburg, has joined with thu
! house insurgents" who are insist
| ing that the rate Of so per cen
adopted by the senate be retained
The question will be threshed ou
! within the next 10 days when th'
/ conference committee reports tht
i bill for final passage.
| Representative Charles E. Fuller
q BelVlQeree, TeluTHeu u washing
| ton this week in order to vote fol
/ the bill.
| Prosecutions against hundreds o
| firms and individuals charged witt
defrauding the government on Wa
! contracts will be barred as the re
suit of delay in the senate on th'
| Graham bill, according to Repre-
sentative william J. Graham