The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-05-12
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gem
eral Topics from
the Capital.
May 6, 1908.

ton. and has been sent out by a
mum Der of correspondents, that an
agreement has been reac h d
among the members of the Senate
Committee on Interstate Com
merce regarding the form of rail
way legislation which shall be
enacted at the next session of
Congress and it is added that the
President has given his sanction
TO the programme. 1t is claimed
that bill is TO be framed which
shall merely extend the provisions
of the Elkins anti-rebate law, pre-
vent discrimination of every
character as between shippers and
even remedy the grave inequali-
ties now arrived at by the use of
[ private ears, that is, cars owned
by special companies like the
Armour Refrigerating Company,
ct al.
No confirmation of this report
can be obtained aud as whole it
appears TO be without foundation.
That the members of the Senate
Committee the Republican mem
bers, at least may have reached
such an agreement is entirely pos
Sible. The railroads are inSistent
that the only legislation which
effects their industry shall be con.
fined to the further prevention OF
rebates, in whatever form they
are now given. That is hatural as
rebates mean a diminution of rail
way profits. THIS explains, too.
why Senator Elkins fathered the
rebate law which bears his name,
no line of which he ever drew. 1t
is probably reasonable 10 say 1t,
but the fact is that Philander
Knox. then Attorney General,
now Senator from Pennsylvania,
drew the Elkins anti.rebate law
as it stands on the statutes. and
Senator Elkins' only connection
with it lay in the fact that lie
was chairman of the committee
which reported 1t to the Senate.
The improbable part of the cur
rent report is that the President
has given his sanction to the pro-
gramme outlined. Is ii likely
that the committee, assuming that
it has determined upon pro
gramme. has been able 10 submit
it to the President whn. ever Siurr
the committee held its first meet
ing. has been induStiiouSly engag-
ed in chasing bears aud non ~, :
through the rocky faSTueSsr> Of
/ Colorado? Or is it probable haI
the President, even bad the cunt-
mittee succeeded i'll treSpaSSing III
his vacation to the extent of send
ing its plan 10 him. would have
considered il between hunts, so to
speak aud forwarded his appro, al
to Washington by wireless tele-
grapy. or telepathy. without even
consulting his Attorney General
or other members of his Cabinet!
1t must be remem bered thar the
President. in his last message 10
Congress, specifically recommend
ed that the power to adjudge the
equity of railway rates complain
ed of and the further power to fix
o. assumed just rate be conferred
on the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. Certainly there is 10
good ground for the assumption
that Mr.. Roosevelt has already de.
termined to swallow his specific
recommendation and accept the
suggestions of Senator Elkins'
Committee.
There is no doubt that an ex-
tension of the principle of the
anti rebate law would accomplish
great good. 1t would go long
way toward destroying the powers
of the trusts, etc. One of the
most prominent railway men III
the country recently assured your
correspondent that every dollar
invested in private cars paid the
companies so investing a profit oil
not less than S74 per cent. he
said that the railway companies
were poweIleSs to resist demands
of the owners of private cars
They were always immense con
Germs which contributed so largely
to the traffic OF any line on which
they were located that complete
withdrawal of their shipments
would seriously affect the profits
; of the railway. They demand
! that the railways pay them for thu
use of their cars and the railway
which pays the highest price gets
: their business. This, OF course
serves the owners of the cars JUS
as we'll as would a rebate on the
freight rate. 1t gives them &
lower net rate than any of thei
competitors and enables them Il
drive all competitors from thu
field. And yet tue existing Law
does not touch this form of dis
elimination because it canno
legally be construed as rebate