The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-24
CONVENTIONS.
RAILROADS CONTROL CONGRESS

RAILROADS CONTROL CONGRESS.
at was said. and freely said, that
no bill could pass Congress which
did not receive the approval of the
railroads"
These were the words used by Mr.
Charles \. Prouty, Interstate Com
merce Commissioner. at hearing by
the Senate Committee with reference
to the amendments pending to give
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sioner larger powers. Since the vali.
GUS decisions, the original act has
been so mangled that, to quote Mr..
Prouty again, ''as the law now stands
the commission is not court. 1t Is
not even a tribunal which can hear
these questions between shippers and
the public and grant relief. It's chief
function is that of investigation aud
information"
Mr.. Prouty went on to say that be-
lieving that no bill could pass Con-
gress (which did not receive the APP
prevail of the railroads" the members
of the Commission had sought to
agree upon some measure (which
7would receive the approval of a ma
.jority of the railroads" The attempt
was failure because, as Mr.. Prouty
put it ito regulate the railroads OF
this country means to compel them tc
do many Thugs against their wish and
some things against their interest,
and therefore mo practical result was;
reached" The bill that is now before
the Senate Committee increases the
powers of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, giving that body power
to control freight rates. The rail
roads are fighting that bill tooth
and toe-nail." Mr.. Prouty said at the
hearing above referred to that Mr.
Milton IL. Smith, president of the
Louisville and Nashville railroad, ties
tilted before this commission that re
had used the funds of that railroad
company to circulate literature in
opposition to the bill suggested by
the commission .....I knew it entire
~ misrepresented the purposes and
scope of the act | was satisfied that
other railroads were using their rev
enues for the same purpose. Mr..
Smith is the same railroad president
Il L. Tly o.
ganized the campaign against Mr.
Goebel, and fomented the bitterness
that resulted in the assassination OF
that brave man whose only crime in
the eyes of the Louisville and Nash
vile railroad was that he favored rail
road regulation and refused to be
dominated by that and other corpora
tons that had long been accustomed
to shape the legislation of that State.
The reverse in Kentucky did not pre-
vent Mr. Smiths taking leading
part in fighting just railroad legisls
ton in Congress. He seems to have
more success in Washington than IN
Kentucky as this special in the Chi
cago Times-Herald shows:
washington, April Ex-senator
Cullom was today defeated in an at
tempt to get his Interstate Commerce
bill out of the committee of which
he is chairman, and it is generally be-
lieved the bill is dead, so far as this
session of Congress is concerned.
Senators Wolcott. Kean, Gear and
Elkins opposed reporting the bill. and
Mr.. Wolcett. aroused Mr.. Cullom's ire
by saying that he desired action on
the measure postponed until. May in
order TO give him more time to study
it. Mr.. Cullom appeared to think thi,
attitude Of Mr.. Wolcott was largely
facetious, with the joke on the chair
man. The Illinois Senator said:
Gentlemen, / wanted to get this
bill to vote today, but see at once
that it will be impossible to get a
vote. | have determined not to give
way i'm the matter of further hearings
or i'm postponing the consideration of
the bill until next May. as the Senator
from Colorado. Mr.. Wolcott, requests.
or to Weld further than to announce
we will call a meeting early next week
possibly Tuesday.
'.The bill increases the powers OF
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion. giving that body authority to
control freight rates. For this reason
the railroads are fighting it tooth ant
nail. Of the seven members present
at the committee meeting today only