Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-11
CONTROL OF RAILWAYS.
supreme Court Judge of North Caro-.
lima Recommends Cover nlnent

Authority.
Denver. Col, Aug. 11.-Shall the 1so.-
600 miles of railroad in this county be
placed under governmental control? ?
That is the question foremost in impor-
tance which the members of the Ma
tional Association of Railroad Commis-
sioners, now in this city holding their
eleventh annual convention, are trying
to aLswer. At presehs the consensus of
opinion among the delegates is that the
Interstate commerce commission should
be authorized by congress to establish
and maintain all interstate rates.
Shortly after Cicero j. Lindley chair
man of the Illinois railroad commission
and president of the national associa-
ton. raped the convention to order
yesterday at the Brown Palace Hotel.
the question was formally introduced in
a paper read by Judge Walter H. Clark.
of the supreme court of North Carolina.
Judge Clark, who is we'll known in rail-
road circles for his written expressions
on the subject, spoke from the stand
point of the masses. In summing up
for mis- client he said in part:
He meaning the people, is just and
moderate. He asks no unjust reduction
in rates, nor that any undue taxation be
placed upon the railroads. He knows
that he gave these corporations the
breath of life, and that by the aid OF
his right of eminent domain they have
laid their tracks. He knows that pri-
vate and public subscriptions to their
construction often have been SUBJ
merged by reconstructions and ether
methods, and that these great corpora
tions nearly all are owned by non-resi-
dent bankers.
My client demands that discrimina-
tions be stopped, whether secret rebates
of freight or free passes or donated
mileage books. He demands just
modification of freight rates, especially
| of those south of the Ohio, which the in
terstate commerce commission has adj
Judged excessive, and that passenger
rates should be reduced to something
like the rates in other countries, with
out special privileges to any. He de-
mands that these corporations shall
take their hands off of our politics and
leave the people free to select their own
public servants. and that the processes
of federal judges, whether appointed by
lcorporation influences or not, shall not
be prostituted to defeat public control
or the assessment by law of railroad
property for taxation.
He would be glad to see the tele-
graph, telephone and express made a
part of the postofIice, as in other coun-
tries. He asks that safety appliances
and moderate hours of labor for en-
rloyes be required in order that the
present annual casualty list of 10000 to
50,0n0 Killed and wounded may be di-
:ninished.
I'm these demands there is nothing
unjust. Railway managers should
gladly and frankly concede them. Ii so
the utmost harmony viii prevail. But
be assured, nothing less than these
things will satisfy the great American
people"
Judge Clark's address. coming as IL
did from member of a supreme bench
caused much discussion among the dele
gates. Several high officials of rail,
roads We're present. prominent among
whom was Il. L. Jeffry, president of the
Denver & Rio Grande road. After the
session Mr.. Jeffry said, upon being ask
ed as to the feasibility Of governmental
control: THE idea, in my opinion, is
lpreposterous. 1t is wholly impractic-
able, and-well, it isn't the solution tc
the problem, that's all"
In an interview Judge Clark said that
while he did not advocate governmental
ownership of railroads, he regarded il
as an ultimate result if harmony failed
to prevail under government control
He continued:
Colored Ficnd Lynched.
Nashville, Aug. Twill Chambers
colored. was lynched near Bell Buckle
this morning for assauiting the 14-year.
old daughter Of William Watson. He
was identified by his victim. who IL In
4 critical condition