Show ELKINS UNABLE TO TOI I GET VOTE ON BILL Railroad Measure Still Before the Senate Senat and ang the Subject of Many Speeches I SESSION BEGAN EARLY CRAWFORD CR AMENDMENT THE BONE OF CONTENTION Washington April 22 Beginning Us lis session at 10 In the en entanglement entanglement entanglement over OYer the question of a Quo Quorum quorum quorum rum the tho Senate adjourned a few rein min minutes utes before 5 ii when it was was un unable un unable able abie to muster enough members to con continue continue business The debate on the section of the bill permitting railroads to enter Into trat fic tic agreements continued throughout the afternoon the tho principal participants participants participants pants being Senators Crawford Suther Sutherland Sutherland land Clapp Cummins Elkins and Car Carter Carter Carter ter For the most part the contro controversy controversy controversy versy partook of what to a layman would be considered hairsplitting the chief contention being whether the pro provision provision provision vision In the Crawford amendment mating maing agreements subject to the ap of the Interstate commerce corn com commission om mission nas has the effect of requiring this approval before the agreements take tale effect effet effe t tAfter After the pros and eons cons of this ques tion had been presented at some length it appeared for a few moments as though a vote might be obtained The ayes and noes had been ordered when Senator Dolliver expressed a desire to be heard on the amendment As he ho did not Want to proceed at so late an hour some somo senator raised the point of no quorum Only senators responded to their names and the Senate was compelled to close its session earlier than Mr lIr Elkins desired He Ho tried to obtain an order for another 11 meeting but as the tho call of the Senate was begun he was ruled out of order The Senate will not meet tomorrow un until until until til 12 the usual hour Senator Crawfords Speech Senator Crawford of South Dakota addressed the Senate in support of the proposition that the railroads be bo per permitted Permitted permitted to make traffic agreements He quoted from three messages of dent Roosevelt in support of his con contention contention contention and said the Republican plat platform platform form of 1908 declaring for agreements made subject to the approval of the interstate commerce commission was In accord with the Roosevelt views Senator Clapp pointed out that the Roosevelt declaration had specifically favored the previous approval of the commission comm ision Mr lIr Crawford Cr said no lawyer of standing would contend that under the pending amendment working agree agreements agreements agreements ments subject to the approval of the commission would be effective without such approval Mr Clapp answered that both Senators Aldrich and Elkins had so construed the possibilities In reply to a question from Mr Crawford however Mr Elkins said he had been incorrectly quoted Mr Aldrich was not then in the chamber Mr Crawford said he and the minor minority minority minority ity of the committee on interstate commerce differed as to the practicability ity tty of having l the commission pass lass on every evel Item in rate schedules made In conformity with traffic agreements The Public Would Pay But If the rates are unreasonable Interjected Senator Jones of Washing ton the must go on paying them Senator Carter of Montana support supportIng Ing Mr Crawfords position would have the rates filed with the agree agreements agreements ments monts Senator Elkins called attention to the fact that If found unreasonable any schedule submitted to the commis commission sion could be suspended under the terms of the bill The agreement would i ibind bind only the railroads He said if followed to its legitimate conclusion the Cummins amendment would allow the commission to fix rates all over the country and tear down any community at will viII Mr Crawford resuming his speech said his purpose was to bring the tho rail raU railroads railroads roads under the Ue supervision of law In matters In which there were abuses under the present law He said that not until ino no bill was entirely com corn completed completed could he say he was for hc measure as an entirety After the South Dakota senator had concluded Mr Sutherland spoke in ad advocacy advocacy advocacy of the Crawford amendment He agreed with the view expressed by Mr tarter that necessarily the commis commission commission sion slon would require the filing with each agreement of the rates provided under it and that In many cases the tho rates would be examined before the approval of the commission |