, 1905-05-11
TAFT SURPRISES
THE RA|LR0ADERs
TOOK THEIR BREATH AWAY DUR.
ING THE DINNER At NEW WILL
LARD IN WASHINGTON,
Told Three Hundred Members Of In
%ternationai Railway Congress That
Rate Legislation Must Come and
That If They Were Wise They
Would Help and Not Hinder.


Washington, May 11.-Secretary
TAFT fairly too the breath OF the so
railway men, members OF the lnterna-
tlonal Railway congress-, dining last
night as the guests Of the American
Railway association, at the New Viii
lard hotel. when, after beng introduc-
pines" he emphatically declared that
railway rate legislation must come;
that if the railway men OF the coun-
try were wise they would aid and not
hinder it; that the sentiment OF the
country is such that failure of proper
Regulation meant a campaign on the
railroads.
Absolute silence reigned as Secre-
tary Taft spoke his mind on the sub
ject Of rates. He was positively
against government ownership, he said.
believing that nothing SO deleterious
could come to the country as this
continued, you cannot run railroads
as you run private business. You
must respond to the public demand.
If there is danger of discrimination
then you must allow the establishment
of some tribunal that will remedy
that discrimination" The secretary
saw no reason why a tribunal properly
constituted should not be competent
in every sense of the word to fix a
minimum rate.
President ~Stuyvesant Fish of the
American Railway association had in
troduced Secretary Taft. In his capac-
ity as POSTMASTER Mr.. Fish was on his
feet the instant the secretary conclud-
ed. He answered the secretary at
length, taking the view that the law
to prevent discrimination, double deal
ing n secret rebates was ample and
he vigorously called for the enforce
ment of that law. He talked of the
vested rights of the money tied up in
railways.
Mr.. Fish apologized for allowing him.
self to be diverted, and as he sat down,
Secretary Taft, who sat next him. Quer-
led in a low tone. May l have fifteen
minutes to reply" This time was CIV
en-. The secretary utilized it in max
ing himself wen more positive as to
his position in favor of legislation
which would create a tribunal with
authority to name a maximum rate.
He said.
THE law now is, as decided by the
supreme court Of the United States,
that first a commission and then the
courts may decide whether a particu-
lar rate is reasonable or unreasonable.
Now, in fixing that, in the very mental
process in determining whether a rate
is reasonable or unreasonable, n has
to fix what Is q maximum rate. As l
understand 1t, what is proposed is only
that in litigated cases a commission
shall be constituted that shall fx a
maximum rate; in other words, to go
Through the same process it now goes
Through to determine what is a eason
able rate. What l am strongly in fay-
Tor Of, though, is that we shall have a
body that shall decide things and that
those things shall be decided within
la reasonable time finally by the
courts"
Mr.. Fish again took up the afgu-
ment, c%ontending it was the question
of fixing the price for the seller Of
goods.
The only phase Of the railway rate
question which will come before the
International Railway congress Is that
of "slow freight rates." which topic
has been concluded by section four,
for presentation to the general session
of the congress Thursday. The CON
clusion by the section is that:
Tariffs should be based on com
mercial principles, taking into account
the special conditions which bear on
the commercial value of the services
rendered. With the reservation that
rates shall be charged without arbi-
trary discrimination to oil shippers
alike under like conditions, the making
of rates should las far as possible, have
all the elasticity necessary to permit
the development Of the trafic and to
produce the greatest results to the
public and to the railroads them
Selves"
On the question Of length Of time
on duty and working regulations for
employees and laborers, section four
has reached the following conclusion
for presentation to the general session
of the congress:
THAT due to the many peculiarities
of railway service. 1t 10 impossible to
reconcile the rigidity Of the law with
the elasticity necessitated by the var
ious requirements. by the needs Of the
public. the employers and employing
management 1t . held that the en-
ployer should have the greatest Ati.
tude. to fx under the control Of CON-
petent authorities, the regulations Of
work"
Too Many Burns Rsilca."
Scotland IL becopainG alarmed at