Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-26
TAKES ISSUE
WITH president
President Hughitt of the North
western Opposes Roosevelt's
Rate Fixing Plan
WOULD DESTROY COMPETITION
Says Railways and Cities Would Suffer
Alike From Restriction of Business
If Interstate Commerce Commission
Should be Given tho Powor to Fix
Rates.

Chicago. Dec. 26.-President Marvin
Hughitt of the Chicago & Northwest
ern railway, whose conservatism ana
practical knowledge of every detail OF
railroading are unquestioned, IN trans
portation circles, has gone on record as
being unalterably opposed to President
Roosevelts plan for giving the inter-
state commission the power to fix rail-
road rates. SO far as public utterances
are concerned, he is the first railway
executive to speak against the Roose-
Welt idea.
Not only would the railways suffer
by such legislation as the president
recommends, Mr.. Hughitt contends, but
cities in all parts OF the country would
be restricted in their growth because
Of inability to reach out for trade be-
You'd their own little garden plots"
In Mr.. Hughitt's opinion such legisla-
ton as President Roosevelt proposes
would produce uniformity that would
be death blow to competition.
President Hughitt's opinion of the
Roosevelt idea was expressed to
committee of the Commercial Club Of
Sioux City, Iowa, which visited Chi
cago in an effort to obtain certain
concessions for the business interests
of the Iowa town. After disposing OF
the questions at issue Mr.. Hughitt
dealt with the broader phases of the
rate situation and then, turning to
the Roosevelt recommendations, said:
I'VE are always interested with the
wishes of people on our lines and try
to meet every demand Of business. but
you gentlemen do not realize, congress
does not realize, the country does not
realize, the tremendous seriousness of
the questions the president raises in his
message. This proposal OF the gov
eminent making our rates, means. II 1t
be carried into effect that the capacity
of the railroads to make extensions
and Improvements will depend on the
Willingness Of commission to allow
them to earn the wherewithal.
ut means that all competition will be
done away with, for there can be no
competition when uniformity Is en-
forced by government. 1t means that
there will be no use for cities to seek
advantages or to keep their eyes open
to extend their trade territory oppor-
tunities. Because under the arbitrary
system proposed every city would be
confined to it's own little garden plot
of trade territory, and there would be
no chance Of extending it."
President Hughitt ended by urging
that the business interests of the coun
try should unite to defeat any such
legislation as that proposed in the
Roosevelt message. 1t was not alone a
matter for the railroads to combat, he
said. as the country at large was vital
ly concerned.
The committee left Chicago divided
as to the wisdom of President Hughitt's
words. but 1t is said that majority Of
the members were unconcerted to the
railway mans preaching. AS one Of
the Iowans said just before leaving:
Whenever Sioux City gets all the
trade of its garden plot of territory, I'll
be satisfied. At present, however, I'll
take my chances and stand by the
presidents recommendations"
Few active railway men have had
the long experience of the man who
has taken issue with the nations exc
cutive. Fifty years of practical rail-
reading and thirty-tw two Of these devoted
to the same company, is Mr.. Hughitt's
record.
Mr.. Hughitt came from the bottom
up" as he himself express it. Born
on a farm near Genoa, N. Y. in 1898.
he attended a country school and spent
his other waking hours following a
pillow.