The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-12-09

information which would inture n
business of a competitor and
destroy the incentive for individual su-
perfority and thrift
The bureau has also made exhaustive
examinations into the legal condition
under which corporate business Is car
ried on in the various systems of cor
porate taxation in use. I call special
attention to the report Of the chief OF
the Bureau: and / earnestly ask that
the Congress carefully consider the re-
port and recommendations OF the Com
missioner oil this subject
Insurance.
The business OF insurance vitality af-
fects the great mass OF the people OF
the United States and Is national and
not local in its application 1t involves
q multitude OF transactions among the
people OF the different States and be-
tween American companies and foreign
governments. / urge that the Congress
carefully consider whether the power
OF the Bureau OF Corporations a not
consttutionally be extended to
interstate transactions in insurance.
Rebates.
Above all else, we must strive TO keep
the highways OF m open to all
on equal terms: and TO do this IL Is
necessary 10 put a complete stop 10 all
rebates. Whether the shipper or the
railroad is 10 blame makes no differ
ence: the rebate must be stopped. the
abuses OF the private car and private
terminal-track and side-track systems
U be stopped, and the legislation OF
the FIT Eighth congress which de-
clares it to be unlawful for any person
OF corporation TO offer. grant, give, So
licit, accept, or receive any rebate, con-
c~esSfon, or discrimination in respect of
the transportation OF any property In
Interstate or foreign commerce where
by such property shall by any device
whatever be transported at a less rate
h that named in the tariffs publish
ed by the carrier must be enforced.
For some time after the enactment of
the Act to Regulate commerce ii re-
manned a mooted question whether that
act conferred upon the Interstate
Commerce Commission the power, after
1t had found a challenged rate to be un-
reasonable. to declare what thereafter
should, prima facie, be the reasonable
A@N> W. IN
in dispute. The Supreme court finally
resolved that question in the negative,
so that as the law now stands the Com
mission simply possess the bare power
to denounce a particular rate as I'M
reasonable. While / am Of the opinion
that at present 1t would be undesirable.
IL 1t were not impracticable, finally to
clothe the Commission with general au-
thority to fix railroad rates, I do be-
lieve that, as a fair security to ship
pers the Commission should be vested
with the power, where a given rate has
been challenged and after full hearing
found to be unreasonable. to decide.
subject to judicial review, what shall
be a reasonable rate to take it's place;
the ruling of the Commission to take
effect immediately, and to obtain unless
and until 1t is reversed by the court of
review. The Government mast in in
creasing degree supervise and regulate
the workings Of the railways engaged
in Interstate commerce: and increased
supervision is the only alternative to an
increase of the present evils on the II
hand or a still more radical policy on
the other. In my judgment the most
important legislative act now needed
as regards the regulation of corpora
tons is this act to confer IN the Inter-
state Commerce Commission the power
to revise rates and regulations, the re-
vised rate to at once go into effect, and
to stay in effect unless and until the
court of review reverses II.
Steamship companies engaged in In
ter-state commerce and protected in our
coastwise trade, should be held to a
strict observance Of the Interstate
commerce act.
City of Washington.
In pursuing the set plan to make the
city of Washington an example to other
American municipalities several points
should be kept in mind by the legisia-
tors. In the first place, the people or
this country should clearly understand
that no amount Of industrial prosperity,
and above all no leadership in interna-
tional industrial competition, can in
any way atone for the sapping of the
vitality Of those who are usually spoken
Of as the working classes. The farm
ers, the mechanics, the skilled and I'M
skilled laborers, the small shop keepers,
make up the bulk of the population Of
any country; and upon their well-being,
generation after generation, the we'll
being OF the country n the rae de-
ponds. Rapid development in wealth
and Industrial leadership - a good
thing, out only If it goes hand in hand
with improvement, and not deteriora-
ton, physical n moral. The over
crowding of cities and the draining of
country districts are unhealthy and
even dangerous symptoms in our mod
erp life. We should not permit over
crowding in cities. In certain European
cities it is provided by law that the
population Of towns shall not be allow
Cd to exceed a very limited density for
a given area, so that the increase in
density must be continually pushed
back into a broad zone around the CEN
teE Of the town, this zone having great
venue or parks within IL. The death
rate statistics show a terrible increase
III mortality. and especially in infant