The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-21
The Senate Hears Firing.

Washington reports that the presi-
dent and Secretary Morton have made
an obvious dent upon the senate in the
railroad-rate matter. They have not
captured 2O3-Meter hill yet, but the
fact that the senate admits having
heard the sound of artillery is encour-
aging.
The latest from the sacred precincts
is that the senators are thinking, are
talking and are studying. Some of them
have plans and many of them have
statements to offer for home consump-
ton. None of these senatorial COM
ments are so bearish on the question
Of railroad legislation as they were
two weeks ago. Nearly all concede that
the question will be threshed over at
this short session and something be
done next winter.
Solid support of the presidents call
for action comes in the interstate COM
merce commission report just published.
In their document the commissioners
take up in considerable detail the need
Of rate legislation, and incidentally de-
fend themselves from the charge that
they have asked for power to arbitra-
rily fix rates. The amendments to the
statute recommended by the commits
sion involve no fixing Of whole tariffs
Of rates in the first instance, nor at
any time, but are limited to the re-
dressing of wrongs caused by rates that
are proven to be clearly unfair. This
-o~ro~ tho oo,,, m, ssion clair to have
had up to 1897, when the supreme court
took it away on the ground that it was
not clearly expressed in the statute.
At the prexent time the commission
may, on complaint, investigate a rate
| complained of, declare it to be unjust,
and then find itself powerless to en-
force corrective order. The commits
sion believes that congress should find
| some way to express this power.
| Secretary Morton s plan would per-
nit the carrier to charge and collect
! the rate complained of pending jul
dicial trial, but would compel the rail-
road to put up bond to reimburse the
shipper if it's rate is found to be I'M
lust. Mr.. Morton's plan is certainly
not unfair to the railroads, for if they
promulgated only rates that were rea-
sonable, no fair trial court would over
throw them and they would never be
called upon to indemnify shippers.
The report Of the commission goes
into the question Of - private freight
cars as a device for securing advantages
in rates and handles vigorously, also,
the vexed problem of terminal railroads.
On the first question the commission
shows that thru excessive refrigerating
charges monopoly Of fruit handling
has been built up, altho the railroads
are apparently open to all shippers of
fruit alike. By a consolidation OF
various private fruit car companies
the Armours now appear to own a mo
nopoly Of the shipping Of fruit in large
quantities in various sections Of the
country. These cars are rented to the
railroads at fixed mileage and the
Armour company furnishes the re
frigeration. While the railroad rate i.
apparently the same to all, practically
the Armours have the whole say about
the fruit business.
The terminal railroad monopoly il
, illustrated in the report by the case Of
the Illinois Northern Railroad company
Of Chicago, used principally to NOV,
j traffic to and from the works Of thu
cCormick Harvester company. Thi
. railroad has heretofore switched carr
to and from main lines at $3.50 car
which is ample. But the railroad
/ this year granted the company an allow
ance Of 20-per cent of the rate to Mis-
/ souri, river points. On farm machiner,
| lit amounts to $12 car instead Of $3.50