The San Francisco call., 1904-07-07

not to enter into governmental contracts with
trusts and unlawful combinations convicted
In answer 20 another resolution failed to show
that anything substantial was being done
against the Anthracite Coal Trust. The At
torney General in that case hid behind the
pretext that IL would be contrary to public
policy" for him to give Congress any informa-
tion as to what he was doing or would do
This same trust buster" as my good friend,
Joe Cannon would have us believe him to be.
Attorney General Knox. has just been appoint
ed by the Governor OF Pennsylvania Senator
from that State, the newspapers say, on
the demand of the very men who constitute this
the presidents OF the railroad companies and
the owners of the mines constituting it. What
you gong to do about II? What are You
going to do with tile trust buster-.busted.'
or removed or promoted out OF the way?
Then there follows the beast OF having per
fected the interstate commerce law" The
absurdity of this statement IS demonstrated
by the actual condition of things. The Inter
state Commerce Commission has been knock
ing at the doors Of Congress for years asking
for IL K.Hreased power. asking for this power
at least when a given rate, after investigation
and full hearing of both SIDES, has been de-
cided by the commission to be unreasonable, 10
declare what rate would be reasonable in It's
stead, and to make this rate operative until
set aside by due process of law by appeal. re-
view otherwise.
A more ridiculous piece Of official impotency
than is the Interstate Commerce Commission
at present does not exist. 1t can declare
-tyen rate OF 30 cents. let US say. TO be
Gn-easona BILE but as il cannot prescribe what
would be reasonable in its stead the railroad
can do enc of two things: 1t either take
an appeal which suspends the decision OF the
commission while the appeal is being long
drawn out by the railroads interested. IT
change the rate to 4912 cents. and when
that has been declared unreasonable can
change it again to 49A cents and when that
has been declared unreasonable can change il to
49is cents and so ad inhinltum. compelling
the newly aggrieved citizen in each case TO
bring suit at the risk Of being punished in
dustrialy by the railroad for what it calls
''unfriendly conduct and without the hope of
any substantial immediate redress.
A bill to give the Interstate Commerce Com
mission power, not to declare rates generally,
not to fix a schedule of rates for all the
roads in the country engaged in interstate
commerce. but power merely to declare rea-
sonable rate in its stead in particular cases
where rate has been declared unreasonable.
this rate TO be maintained until set aside by
law has been pending before the committee
on interstate and foreign commerce in the
House OF Representatives since this Congress
met and, although the Democrats on that
committee again and again demanded consider
alton OF the bill and although delegation after
delegation OF merchants and members OF mer
chants and shippers associations have been
to Washington begging the enactment OF it
or like legislation. nothing has been done. The
Republican party here, as elsewhere. Stands
pat"