Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-07
Mr. Winnings Characterization
Of Demand for Legislation.
SPEAKS TO SENATORS
RAILWAY RATE INVESTIGATION
AT THE CAPITOL.
Regulation by the Courts Preferred to
That by the Interstate Commerce
Commission.

Mr.. f. p. Vining, who was at various
times traffic agent for the Union Pacific.
New York and New England, the Grand
Rapids and Indiana railroads, appeared be-
fore the Senate committee in the hearing
on railway rates yesterday at the Capitol.
he consented to appear before the commit
tee at the invitation of Senator Millard.
Mr.. V1ning said in part: The interstate
commerce commission asks of Congress all
or the powers that can be held by any body
existing under our present laws. 1t asks
superhuman powers, because no one body
can be so comprehensive in it's grasp of af-
fairs as to be able to meet the constantly
changing needs of the numerous and widely
separated freight producing districts of this
country. The interstate commerce COM
mission has too much to attend to now in
the performance of it's duties as investi-
gator
The only safe body to hold the rate
making powers is Congress, in which is
represented every state and community in
the country. I hold that Congress cannot
redelegate the powers which have been
delegated solely to it by the Constitution.
Clamor for Increased Power.
ITO my mind" Mr.. vining declared 1.-THE
most Ominous and dangerous feature of the
present railroad conditions Is the clamor Of
the Interstate commerce commission for
increased powers. The public clamor for
new legislation is the cry of uneducated
and uninformed emotion. and believe that
the interstate commerce commission should
be compelled by law to furnish the public
so much and such clear information that
the situation would be no longer misunder-
stood. What We want from the interstate
commerce commission Is more light and
less noise. Take away from the Interstate
commerce commission it's legislative and
judicial powers, and make it the arbitrator
ana conciliator and the harmonizer of dis
putes between shippers and railroads; give
1t the power to investigate and bring suits
when circumstances demand such action:
compel 1t to publish so thoroughly all the
Facts relating to railroad rates and ate
disputes that the public will know the en-
tire truth.
Favors Railroad Examiners.
Il also recommend that the books of all
railroads be opened to scrutiny. and that
a system of government railroad exami-
ners be created similar to the present sys-
tenn OF bank examiners. By that means I
believe Justice can be obtained with the
rate-regulating power invested only In Con-
gress.
The dispute in the matter Of railroad
rates has never been between shipper and
shipper, but has been between locality and
locality, and Is that now. This being true
1t is clear that Congress and only Congress
should have the all-important power of
regulating and altering or creating rates"
Prefers Court to Commission.
Asked by Senator Cullom if he would
prefer to have the railroad rates fixed by
the court or by the interstate commerce
commission, granting that the power could
be delegated only to one or the other. Mr..
Vining said that he would prefer the courts
to fix rates, because the public was justified
in having confidence in the integrity of the
courts but that the public was not justified
IN placing any confidence in the rulings and
acts Of the interstate commerce commits
sion.
He added that the proposition made by
Senator Cullom, to his mind, would not
meet the emergency, for obvious reasons
He said that the court should never be en-
powered to fix rate, and that he believed
the only place where justice could be got
In cases involving the regulation of rates.
was in the courts. The interstate COM
merce commission he said, did not have
the time to give such subjects the neces-
Sary attention, and that 1t had not shown
the ability TO deal with such questions
when 1t had the time.