The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-27
Senator Foraker Admits Rail- way Rates Need Adjustment
TAFT'S PLAN IS ALL WRONG
If Shippers Do Not Take Advantage of the Provisions of the EIkins Law 1t Is Their Own
 Fault.

Cincinnati, October 26-Although con- fined to his home under orders of his physician and compelled to cancel sev- eral speaking engagements during the last few days. United States Senator Foraker had been following closely the agitation over railroad freight rates and today gave to the press a statement answering particularly the arguments advanced by Secretary of War Taft in his speech at Akron, O., last Saturday night.
 In the course of his statement Senator Foraker says no question has nrlsen in American politics in recent years of any, thing like such importance excepting the free silver question. He then takes issue with the assumption that those ~ho do not agree with the remedy proposed by Secretary Taft are opposed to any remedy whatever
 Evil Practices Obtain.
 "So far as I am aware" says Senator Foraker it is universally admitted that in the past many evil practices have ob- tained that some of them still obtain; that none of them should be allowed to continue; that a remedy should be pro- vided against all of them. The whole diff ficulty is as to whether conferring the rate making power on the interstate com merce commission Is the only or even necessary remedy. My contention that 1t Is not necessary and that of all the remedies that have been suggested 1t is unqualifiedly the worst"
 However, Senator Foraker contends that shippers do not suffer from excessive rates or rebates at this time, and that their real grievance against the railroads is as to discriminations. The discrimina- tions consist not only of .discrimlnations between shippers and localities, but dis crfminations in commodities. in classifi- cations, by means of terminal charges, elevator charges, refrigerator charges and many other kinds of charges and devices too numerous to mention. <.
 This has been . most serious rtroubie. continues the senator. "We undertook to deal with 1t whsn we passed the Elklns law.
 Statute Is Sufficient.
 .orbe supreme court of the United States has upfIeld the validity of this statute. If Is now in force. There is no reason whatever why, if any locality thinks 1t Is discriminated against or any shipper thinks he is dscriminated against, appli- cation should not be forthwith made TOT 
 can be sustained; for the court Is hy the statute expressly invested wl,h full jr'is- dction to entertain the complaint and administer complete remedy rms statute has been in force ever since the 18th day of February. 1903. It was passed because these complaints of discrimina- tior between sh .npois and localities were constantly being made. The law has been much discussed in the newspapers ana in the courts, and is familiar to all ship pers, if they don't take advantage Of its pl oyisons it is their own fault. think as it stands it covsrr the whole ground but also think that it can be made more explicit and still more efficient and haze drafted an amendment which shall at the proper time submit to my col l,csues on the interstate commerce com | mittee of the Senate. If Secretary Taf' | or anybody else will tell me wherein | thls remedy Is deficient or tell me In what | manner better remedy can be provided | by conferring the rate-making power or l the interstate commerce commission we | shall then have reached the point where l glittering generalites can be dismissed | and intelligent discussion may com 1 mencd."