Evening journal., 1905-05-10
TAFT SAYS RATE
LAW MUST COME
He Took the Breath Away
of Railway Congress
Members
ARGUED QUESTION WITH FISH

Washington, May 10.-Secretary OF
War Taft fairly took the breath OF the
300 railway men, members Of the In
ternational Railway Congress, dining
as the guests of the American Esilway
Association at the New Willard hotel
when. after being introduced as the
apostle from the Philippines" s." he em-
phatically declared that railway rate
legislation must come; that if the rail-
way men Of the country were wise they
would aid and not hinder it; that the
sentiment of the country is such that
failure of proper regulation meant
campaign on the subject that would do
no good to the railroads.
Absolute silence reigned as Secretary
Taft spoke his mind on the subject OF
rates. IIe was positively against gov
ernment ownership, he said, believing
that nothing SO deletorious could come
to the country as this solution of the
question. But" he continued, you
cannot run railroads MS you run a pri-
vate business. Neu must respond TO the
public demand II there is danger Of
discrimination. then you must allow
the establishment of some tribunal
that will remedy that discrimination.
The secretary cav no reason why a
tribunal properly constituted should
not be competent in every sense of the
word to FIX a maximum rate.
President Stuyvesant Fish, of the
American Railway Association. had in
troduced Secretary Taft. In his ca
pacity as POSTMASTER Mr. Fish was on
his feet the instant the secretary con-
cluded. He answered the secretary at
length, taking the view that the law
to prevent discrimination. double deal
ing and secret rebates was ample, and
he vigorously called for the enforce
ment of that law Mr. Fish talked of
the vested rights of the money tied up
in railways. He apologized for allow
/ ing himself to be diverted, and as he
sat down. Secretary Taft. who sat next
him, queried in low tone: May
/ have 10 minutes to reply2" This Tins
was given, and the secretary utilized il
/ in making himself even more positive
as to his position in favor of legislation
which would create a tribunal with au-
thority to name a maximum rate. "The
law now is" continued the secretary
"as decided by the supreme court OF
the United States, that first a commits
sion and then the courts may decide
whether a particular rate is reasonable
or unreasonable. Now in fixing that \
the very mental process in determining
whether a rate is reasonable or unrea
sonable, one has got to fix what is Z
maximum rate. AS | understand it
what Is proposed is only that in liti
gated cases a commission shall be con
stituted that shall fix a maximum rate
in other words, to go through the sam
process It now goes through to deter
mine what is a reasonable rate Wha
I am strongly in favor of. though.
that we shall have a body that shal
decide things and that those thing
shall be decided within a reasonabl
time finally by the courts"
Mr. Fish again took up the argument
contending it was the question of fix
ing the price for the seller of goods.
NJ. Jusserand. the French ambassa
dor; Emile Heurteau. of Paris. a mem
ber of the permanent commission G
the congress; Jean Kologrivoff minis
ter OF communication Russia, an
Wayne MacVeagh also delivere
sneeches