The Washington herald., 1921-02-08
Measure Giving Railroads
Partial Payments Will
Get Consideration.
MISSED PASSAGE BY
FRACTIONAL VOTE
Following Favorable Ac'
tion by Rules Committee
Adoption Almost Sure.

Following an unsuccessful at
tempt by Republican leaders to OBJ
tain passage Of the winslow bill
under a suspension of the rules,
the House Rules Committee last
night reported favorably a resolu-
tion calling for consideration of the
measure with one hours debate to-
day. The plan is to bring in the
resolution today. when adoption aP-
pears certain.
The attempt to obtain passage of
the bill under suspension of the
rules was defeated by less than a
vote. The vote of 22O to III fell
, short by two-thirds of a vote Of
the two-thirds. majority necessary
for the passage of the bill.
The Winslow bill permits partial
payments to the railroads of about
334O,0OO,0OO remaining unpaid under
the guarantee provisions of the
Esch-CUmmins law. The measure
originally had the support of sew
eral Dehocratic members of the
House Interstate and Foreign Com
merce Committee. who vigorously
fought the attempt to force ac-
tion on the bill with only forty min
utcs' debate and no opportunity to
ofTer amendments.
Adoption Almost Assured.
The final vote showed that S6
Democrats, % Republicans and 2 In
dependents composed the opposi-
tiOn. InasmuCh as an Overwhelm-
ing majority voted in favor of the
bill. the prospect is that when it
is given consideration today under
special rule it will pass.
Representative Esch, of Wiscon-
sin, pointed out that unless the
railroads were able to receive par
ttal payments under the guarantee
provisions of, the Esch- Cummins
law that many supply companie
could not pay their. employees and
that some would have to shut down
their plants. Citing the decision
bt the Comptroller Of the Treasury
prohibiting further payments to the
railroads without a complete ac-
counting, Esch said that a complete
settlement Of the railroads accounts
was impossible in some cases for
years
There are deferred items of deb
fts and credits arising out of per-
sona injury cases, loss and damage
claims, reparations and things Of
that kind which, going through the
channels of the courts, will take
years for final settlement" he de-
rlared.
BareIey Flags BIOckaders.
Representative Barkley, Of Ken
lucky, charged that the House
steering committee had blocked con-
sideration of the bill under the
rules Of the House in order to pre-
vent amendments. He pointed out
that the bill had been reported to
the House by the Interstate and
Foreign Commerce Committee on
January 26; that the chairman Of
the committee, Esch, had introduced
a resolution calling for a special
rule on January 81, and that the
Rules Committee had ample time to
draw up a rule during the ensuing
week. The entire procedure he
characterized as an Outrage
Stating that the main purposes Of
the bill were good enough" Rep
1 resentative Rayburn, of Texas,
trharged Representative Mondell, the
Republican leader, with the respon-
EbiIity for the attempt to bring the
Z measure before the House in such a
manner as to prohibit any amend
ments. Rayburn said he would
amend the bill in some respects.
IF we pass this bill today" de-
.Iared r representative HuddIeston,
Of Alabama, before we are done
. With the problem, the railroads will
1 have obtained out of the Treasury
of the United States 5000, 900, 900 or
$1,000. 1000, 600"
Scores Railroads.
Alleging that the railroads have
sot performed a single service to
warrant their receiving the money,
be said that they had with their
,ower driven Congress" into max
ng the guarantee.
L Would not give them the pound
u flesh before the time provided
,or comes" he declared. That was
no. provided for in the bond We
will be more than ten years pay
ng before the railroads get
through
Following an attack upon his
minority report by Representative
cooper. of Ohio, Representative
sims denounced the attempt to per-
nit partial payments to the rail-
rads before a final accounting was
nde His opposition was based
on not only the attempt to OBJ
IN passage of the bill under sus-
ysnsion OF the rules, but the provi-
4 don Of the law making payments
/ POSSIBLE to the railroads before they
rad submitted a full accounting.