The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-06-03
Prouty Makes Clear the Presi-
dents Policy in Regulation
of Railroads.
JAMES j. HILL rs
g., SHOWN TO BE. WRONG
Great Northern President S Plant
as to Oriental Markets Ex-
ploded by Prouty.
By w. w. Jermane.

terests are organizing for determined
campaign against his rate policy, but
this knowledge apparently, doesn It
bother him. Altho he confidently ex-
poets that the senate interstate com
merce committee will present majority
report in favor of giving the govern
ment power to make rates and put them
Immediately into effect, it Is clear that
he does not regard the report of the
committee as having any vital bearing
upon the general question. What the
people want, they will ultimately have,
Regardless of reports Of congressional
committees, and he believes that they
want the government to regulate the
railways, and want it in a way that will
break down all opposition, no matter of
what character.
Railroads Organizing
The railways are developing plan of
systematic campaign all over the coun-
try. The general plan is to have a ma
tional publicity bureau, with headquar-
ters in New York. The western head
quarters are to be in Chicago, from
which city the organization will reach
out to such places as indianapolis, Gin
cinnati, Cleveland, Minneapolis, St.
Paul, Omaha, Kansas City, Denver and
ST. Louis. A competent man will be in
charge of each district, and will see
railways is crystallized and given thoro
publicity. The big shippers, who have
been favored by the railroads, are being
called upon to come to the aid OF the
carriers, and their response, the railways
believe, will exert a powerful effect upon
the public mind by showing that there
is no real demand for the legislation the
president is asking.
Strength of Organized Effort.
The strength of such organized effort
will. Of course, be great, particularly
as those who are demanding legislation
are not organized. They are widely
scattered over the country. They repre-
sent the small shippers at small stations,
and the rural communities generally.
These classes, while thus unable to per
feet an organization and develop pub
Lefty bureau, will be heard next winter
thru their representatives in the house,
and, to a certain extent, in the senate.
When the railways undertake to show,
thru their publicity campaign, that the
country is not really emanding that the
government be given the power to fix
rates, the rural members of congress will
combine for" reply that will put the
administration bill thru the lower house
with majority quite as large as that
it received last spring And then the
fight will be transferred to the. senate
where 1t will be Observation-Disclosures
the administration believes-in favor OF
the people. The chances in favor OF
success at the next session are good
from the administration point of view
but if there is no legislation at thai
session, then thes president will bea1
down with all his force to- secure actor
prior to March 4, 1907, failing which
congress elected in November, 1906. Il
this connection, 1t may be said that thu
failure of congress to act next session
may bring call for an extra session il
the early fall of next year, immediatel,
following the elections.
President in Earnest.
The president is desperately in cal
nest, and not only intends to push tn
campaign Vigorously, but atan bel1e W n
He is not disposed to attach great In
portance to the railway-publicity cam
paign. That campaign may be genr
Inc enough so far as the big shipper
at terminal points are concerned, TO
mating rates for years, by reason 0
location and for other reasons, are be
ing told by the railways that the enact
ment Of the administration measur
will destroy those rates. The big shi!
pers, therefore, may be expected to lol
with the railw in asking that mott
ing be done; but as class they repre-
sent but a small proportion Of the il
terested population, either in number {
wealth; and it is the greatest good
the largest number that the presider
Is seeking.
shippers to make it appear that if I'll
government makes rates, those rate
will be fixed on a mileage basis, d
stroying the prosperity Of the enti1
west, and particularly of all those Sc
tions beyond the Mississippi river an
the Rocky mountains where distance
are great. According to administratic
in such places as Omaha, St. Loui
Kansas City. and Denver, in additic
to Minneapolis and st. Paul. Obviou
", if the public in those sections CO
be made to take stock in that stat
ment, the administration support the
will be reduced to almost nothing.
MIR. Hills Testimony.
Another argument made against t
administration plan is based upon t.
testimony Of James J: Hill, preside
Of the Great Northern, who told t
senate interstate. commerce commit
that after he had developed an orie
tai market for -four, the intersta
commerce commission destroyed tn
market by requiring him to publish al
post his thru rate: This argument,
is learned here, is being used along t
Great Northern and the Northern Z
cifc from Minneapolis and st. Paul
Puget sound. The conclusion is,
course, that the interstate CONNER
commission cannot be trusted wi
power over commerce. What it b
done with Mr.. Hills oriental flo
trade, say the railroads, it will, if Civ
the opportunity, do to other lines
commerce.
Answered by Prouty.
In. order to get in concrete form t
administration reply to these arg
ments called on Judge Charles
Prouty Of the interstate commerce co
mission, who has given the whole gu
tion careful study and intellige
thought, and whose word will carry
great deal of weight wherever his r.
Itation for fairness and ability h
gone. In reply to request for a sta
ment covering the railroad charg
first, that the administration plan "
mean a mileage basis, and, second. til
the interstate commerce commission
stroyed the Chinese and Japanese M