Show 1 END OF RAILROAD BILL DEBATE IN Li SENATE IN SIGHT I i II I J Vote ote on Measure May BeI Be I Reached Thursday Under Pl Plan n to Limit Debate I Washington Feb 18 Plans Pl Plans were It made matle toda today which tho the administration lea leaders ers believe will Insure passage of or 1 tho the railroad bill this week Under an ant anI t Informal agreement to be submitted to Q I the Senate Senath tomorrow for Cor ratification debase debao eb te will bo be limited to tl cm speeches beginning at 2 p p- m. m Thursday Thurs Thurs- day and I it Ic is expected that a final vote ote i can be reached before adjournment that 1 day 4 This agreement nt followed the reading oC to Chairman Ch Smith of the Interstate commerce commission from Crom Director General ral ur urging in- in inthe the for fer prompt pt action t In th the matter mat t tc ter erd rd declaring that hat every days day's delay cla was as Interfering with the pro prosecution of tho the warS war Chairman Smith proposed o e tho program informally l oHer his proposal al to fix z 5 G o'clock Thursday a afternoon a aI as I the time tc begin voting Im had been blocked b by an objection from front Senator The latter said ho did not notI I desire to dela delay action but wanted to leave o the way open cn for discussion of or oran an any amendments ments that might be bo offered Debate Detato on the bill continued J today with Senator tor Pomerene of Ohio and andL L Senator Watson of Indiana both members members mem mem- bers hers of ot tho the interstate commerce commission com corn mission n speaking In Its support Both Doth urged liberal treatment for the railroads railroads railroads rail rail- roads while un under er go government nt control the latter laller declaring this course preferable preferable preferable prefer prefer- able to having l eighteen billion dollars' dollars worth of property plunged ed Into litigation tion The Indiana senator opposed government gay gov ent ownership of ot railroads s and th the indefinite extension of oC government control control con con- and urged the Senate to accept the committees committee's 8 proposal ropo al to limit the duration dura dura- tion of or government o control to eighteen months after tho the war ar ends Senator declared that the present bill was a war measure and for fOl that reason no effort should be made In Sn it to correct tho evils of or the transportation system Senator Johnson of ot California will discuss the bill tomorrow dealing espe- espe with the Question of or government ownership Senator A. A B. B Cummins' Cummins contention that the standard of compensation proposed proposed pro pro- posed In the bill guarantees an excessive sive e return was denied b by Senator Pomerene I lie urged retention of oC the clause dause limiting federal fedel-al control to eighteen eighteen elgi- elgi teen months after the war Personally he favored ore surrendering th the lines withIn within within with with- in six months after the war ho he said To pass the bill In Its original form orm ormand and leave to a future Congress the question of ot terminating federal control control con con- ho said would open th the tho wa way for permanent government go operation FixIng FixIng Fixing Fix- Fix Ing of or a definite time for turning the railroads back will tend to stimulate tho the value lue of r railroad securities Senator Pomerene om rene declared |