Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1905-04-01
CREATING STRONG
PUBLIC SENTIMENT
Country Flooded With A.
taCks on Interstate Com.
meFce Commission.
ROADS PREPARING FOR CONGRESS

Tons of literature are being sent
broadcast by the railroads. attacking
the Interstate commerce commlsaion.
says special alspaich from waah.
ington 10 the Chicago lutor Ocean.
one Of the largest educational ~bu-
fpaus Of this character conducted BY
the railroads is operated In WAahs
lnBtou Since congress closed there
has gone 90 every weekly and daily
newspaper la the country, every tech
nical Journal aud magazine. every
member ni the American Bar ass0cia-
lion, every library. and to thousands
of individuals of Influence and stand.
lng. copies of thcss pamphlets. la
which She work qf the Interstate com
meroo commission u shown IN an un-
complimentary Light
This same educational bureau haa
other pamphlets IN course OF prcpara.
iion. which Will be given even wider
circulation than those which have
gone before, An court records Of shs
eases prosecuted by the commission
are being searched by experts for un.
favorable comment BY the trial Judges.
These are being arranged In their
most effective manner TO cast dts
ANNMNN kN NNAN ANNNINA""AHIs NIiN hNNNNH
encc always being that the members
Of the present commission Rre 20
blame fOf the alleged railroad evils BY
not properly administering ;he law aa
4 now exists
In thus attacking the members of
the Interstate commerce commission
the railroads believe they are getting
at the fountain head OF their trouble
over freight rate legislaiion. The psr.
nlciour activity OF certain members n
tho commission has been thorn IN
the side OF the traffic managers for
years Defeated 30 court because of
the limitations 0f the Law. these mem
hers Of the commission have contin-
ucd 10 agitaio tho necessity Of being
granted additional powers by con
Krsna.
Commissioners pfouiy and Clements
are the particularly obnoxious mrm-
hefs from Who viewpoint Of the rail-
rOads. They have been aggressive ln
their demands for Increased powers
10 the commission When congroas
was discussing the Hepburn bin which
provided for the reorganization uf the
present commission, Mr. prouty and
Mr. Clements Okieciud 40 thia plan 10
icFislato thom uut Of ofilco. They
openly charged tho railroads with be-
inR responsible for this scheme 20 do
pose them. and put the proposition
plainly. charging that II they were
thus dismissed Il was Tor diacharging
their duty conscicntiously that they
were being sacrificed Tho Hepburn
bill was dropped and the Eaoh.TOwR-
send bin substituted.
The catch word rebate" hns lost isa
Significance and has been eliminated
In the present agitation. The bone of
contention Is the rate fixing" p0wer
sought by certain members Of the
commission and urged by President
Roosevelt and most ~ tho commercial
bodies and tho public generally. u
was this that vas sought by the pass
ago % the Eseh-To~nsend bill snd
which tho railroads succeedod Ia
avertiLg when the biii war allowed 90
alumbor iu the senate. The senate
Satisfied itself that Il needed more
time % thoroughly digest che subject.
aud as the railroads also needed time
in which 10 counternct the popular
wave of enthusiasm for remedial leg
J ialation by congress-, they gni q,
No timo Was lost IN starting the
educational campaign" which is only
one Nt the NAtANH NfAAN fiANtNf'A ~
, tho railroads The railroad employees
! the stockholders and bondhOlders al
J the roads. tha policyholdera of the bis
! insurance companies. the dcpndiiora
in the savings banks, and the snip
! pera themselves are al being urged
. 10 Join In the m1Yement 60 block "rait
! fixing" legislation "a the special SEES
, sion 81 congress In October
ny the time congress meets Ia 90
/ fOber the railroads expect 10 have
! back os them healthy public senu
/. ment" clamoring vigorously aeainal
3 any legislation that viii have for iti
! purpose the giving 81 rate nxlng'
} powers to the interstate eommorc'
commission As the EAch.Townsent
I bill was passed almost unanimonsli
. ~ the house unG6f the spur OF puDii'
r sentiment. the value ~ the education
Z campaign by tho railroads u apparent
J. Topeka State Journal.