Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-07-20
PrpTRIJcAN STATE TICKET.
Extend Federal Supervision.

Extend Federal Supervision.
Senator Sherman's proposition to BRING
tie Pullman Palace Car Company within
the field Of Federal supervision was Ill
timed in view of the strike at Chicago,
but it is step in the right direction, and
II ought to be extended to include under
the supervision Of the Interstate CONNER
ca Commission all the agencies OF inter-
state commerce.
The commission and its statistician.
Mr.. Henry G. Adams, have urged TINS
step in report after report, and now that
the Chicago strike has made clear the rntl-
mate relation between the railroads and
other auxiliary corporations engaged IN
interstate commerce, Congress ought 70
bring them all within the purview OF the
interstate commerce act. Water trans
mort ia now excluded. 1t should be IN
cluded, reports required and rates by
water placed under the regulation OF the
commission. Telegraph companies, long
distance telephones, interstate troiiey
companies, express companies, palace car
companies, fast freight lines, terminal
bridge, elevator and yard companies,
ought all to be included in the supervision
of the Federal power. Their rates ought
to be regulated by law and their reports
ought to be public. The telegraph COM
panies, of which the largest, the western
Union Telegraph, has capital OF $Ioo,-
OO0, 900, are engaged in interstate com
merce to q wider extent than railroads,
yet their affairs are concealed from lne
public. Express companies employ near
" SO. 900 men and pay the railroads $25,-
00O. 600 q year, yet they publish no re-
ports and their rates are often grlevously
unjust. The telephone companies, wnicn
in 1890 had q capital of $72, 34l, 736, gross
earning Of SIG, 404, ,583 and net Of 20, 10y,
2I2. are part of Interstate commerce Dy
their connection with long distance work,
and are now free from all supervision. A
great swarm of subsidiary companies,
Freight lines, abattor and elevator com.
panies, terminal corporations, yard ana
bridge companies and local express and
baggage companies are links IN Interstate
commerce, and ought to have their capi-
tai, traffic and profits laid bare. Lastly,
the palace car companies, OF wnicn the
two largest, the Pullman takes in $lO, wv
900 a year and the Wagner $3,OOO,VOV,
ought to be brought within the Interstate
commerce act.
If Senator Sherman, instead of taking
M a small corner of this field, would turn
his unrivaled ability and experience 10
comprehensive measure extending Feder,
Al supervision over and requiring Federai
statistics from all the agencies OF inter-
saate commerce he would discharge Q
great public service and silence current
criticism on bis action.-Phila. Press.
CONGRESSMAN T. W. PHILLIPS, who has
been at his home in New Castle suffering
from malaria, returned to Washington,
Tuesday. While at home Mr.. Phillips de-
voted good deal of time considering the
labor problem, which he believes is the
greatest one now before the country. All
his life, in fact, Mr.. Phillips has been in
vestigating that subject. As conse-
quence, he expects to introduce bill soon
that will offer practical solution. 1t will
authorize non partisan commission, COM
posed of representatives of labor, agricul-
ture and business. which is to investigate
the subject fully and then report to con
gress the legislation it deems advisable.
SOME Of the tests made at Indian Head,
below Washington, are attended with re-
msrkable results. At tie test made there,
Thursday, q 17-inch Harveyised armor
plate, manufactured by the Carnegie Co.,
met with disaster. The plate itself cost
$2l, 900, weighing 80 tons, and was one Of
a group of plates weighing 3s7 tons, which
are worth to the Carnegie company $246,
900. The plate had been made with as
great care as possible by the Carnegie Co.,
and it was hoped that o successful group
had been secured, for it was desirable to
remove, on far as possible, the doubts cast
on Harveyized steel plates by the failure
Of the I8-inch plate made by the Bethle-
hem company, and tested some time ago.
This plate was as sound and fine spec
linen OF Harveyized armor as has ever been
turned out. At least that is what the
Carnegie company thought. The second
test was the one that did the damage. A
WneeleI-otcIlink l1-iucu choh "OibniA6 8
$50 pounds was used, with 396 pounds Of
brown prismatic powder, giving an initial
velocity of 1858 foot pounds, and an ener.
gy of 20, $40 foot tons.
The shell pierced the plate entirely,
smashing through the 81 feet of oak back.
ing and feet of oak supports; through 80
feet Of earth beyond, and into the woods
for 100 yards.
This was the first shell Of the kind
which was manufactured by purely
American processes. which had been de-
veloped in this country.
The shot did as much damage as any
shot ever did. The result was entirely un.
expected to the Carnegies and the ord
nance officers. Capt. Sampson said the
shell was q phenomenal one and the plate
SOFT
The Strikes