Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-03
Modification of the Interstate
Commerce Laws From a
lawyers Standpoint.
NO INJUSTICE TO RAILROADS
William E. odeII, Of Des Moines, Says
No Ono Proposes to Run the Rail.
roads, But That They Simply Shall
No Longer Have tho Autocratic
Right Now Exercised.
,ecial to Tines- Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Dec. 3. One of the
of the interstate commerce laws Is
William E. Odell, a lawyer of this city
and one who has given the subject
n great deal OF study. Mr.. Odell is a
modest lawyer, has never tried to make
himself conspicuous In politics, and he
enjoys very wide acquaintance In this
and several other states, among prom
inent men. Mr.. Odell has studied the
matter from the standpoint Of the
lawyer meeting plain problem. He
believes that there should be only
slight change In the law SO that what
ever is decided by the interstate com
merce commission goes into effect at
once and the burden of overturning the
decision in the courts shall rest with
the railroad companies.
"There is no disposition to do any
injustice to the railroads" said Mr..
Odell. Nobody wants to do them any
harm. 1t Is not proposed that they
shall be deprived OF the right to man.
age their own business in their own
way. 1t Is not sought tfat others
shall run the railroads, but we do pro-
pose that the plan of having the rail-
roads run the country shall be, stop
ped. We do not propose that small
body of men shall make the rates for
all the railroads, but we want it un-
derstood that small body or interes-
ted persons shall not have all the say
as to prices for all the shippers in the
country. What really happens is that
handful Of men meet in New York
ard once year levy what Governor
Lartal,ee calls our tax
They decide that we shall pay one biz
lion eight hundred million dollars an
nually for service on the railroads. Mo-
body else has anything to say about
1t. They are In n position to levy the
tax and collect 1t and they do. All
that we propose is that they shall no
longer have this autocratic right.
"The proposal Is simple. We have
A. commission which under the decis-
ions Of the court can only make recon-
sion to have authority to enforce its
own DEGREES. 1t has a complaint filed
before 1t and decides, on hearing. that
rate is unjust, but 1T can only recon-
mend a change No attention is paid
to the decisions because the interested
persons do not have to. But have the
law changed SO that the decision of
the commission goes into effect at once
and stays in effect until q court has
reversed 1t, thus placing the burden Of
long and expensive litigation on the
railroad company instead Of on the
shipper, and the situation will be diff
ferent.
'There is another thing am in ia
vor of right here in IOWA." continued
Mr.. Odell, "and that is the passage of
a bill by the Legislature reducing the
state rates on stock at least 25 per
cent. 1 would have the legislature
designate the classification so that the
commission could not shirt 1t about
and by reclassifying put up the rates.
There is no reason in the world why
we should not do most of the packing
of our meats right here at nome. Iowa
has been for many years marketing
practically seven million hogs annual
ly, and killing one million. Wilfsome-
one tell me why we should not kill the
other six million in the state? But
nd. We ship them out or the state
and back again. and cities In other
states get the benefit. We can rem
edy it IL we will. 1t Is entirely mat
ter of freight rates"
The views Of Mr.. Odell, as far as
they relate to a modification of tha
interstate law, coincide exactly with
those of Governor Cummins and 9TH
ers who have urged President Roose-
velt to push the matter before con-
gress. The legislation they seek is not
radical and they do not desire that the
running of the railroads be placed in
the hands of the commission. 1t APP
pears that already the movement has
been distorted, evidently for purpose.
and it is made to appear that what
is proposed is near approach to gov
ernment ownership thru government
management of the railroads, the very
thing which Governor Cummins is try
ing to prevent A prominent railroad
attorney in this city stated one day this
week that he had no fear of any leg1s-
Iation of the kind Gov. Cummins has
suggested, getting thru congress, so
long as the present organization of
house committees remains. and that it
will hardly be worth while making any
fight against the proposal In congress
as 1t is only the work of few agitators
who hope to gain something by polit-
ical processes in this way 1t is be-
lieved that the Iowa delegation in
congress would divide pretty nearly
even on the proposition.
There will be the greatest interest
manifested thruout Iowa and the
western states as to what President
Roosevelt will say in his message to
congress in regard to the amendment
of the interstate commerce law. The
fact that in a previous message ne
recommended it's amendment is recall