The San Francisco call., 1905-01-13
DEMOCRATS
GIVE AID TO
PRESIDENT
Will Support His
Railroad Rate
Policy.
Executive Scores Victory
Over His Republican
Opponents.
Little Doubt That Desired Legislation
Will Be Enacted During the
Present Session.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

CAY,I, BUREAU, POST BUILDING,
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12.-With the
Dassing of the tariff problem the more
perplexing one OF interstate railroad
rates comes to the front, apparently to
stay and President Roosevelt has
gained a decided advantage over the
opposition. It seems practically certain
that the House will meet this question
at the present session and pass bill.
Speaker Cannon is throwing his infiu-
ence in favor of action and the leaders
of the House will try TO agree upon a
measure.
A flank movement by the Democrats
of the House has greatly aided the
President in his efforts for rate legis-
lation. A conference of leading Demo-
Gratis was held last night, called by
John Sharp Williams, and it was de-
termined to force the Republicans to
either give or deny rate bill at this
session. AS result OF this conference
the minority of the Interstate Com
merce Committee presented a resolution
to-day in favor of closing the present
series of hearings on January %, in
order 10 get together on a bill. A df-
rect vote on this was averted to-day,
but il viii come UP again tomorrow.
Two Republicans of the committee
Representatives Esch OF Wisconsin
and Townsend of Michigan-are ready
TO vote for the resolution.
SPEAKS FOR THE RAILROADS.
Samuel Spencer, president of the
Southern Railway, and authorized to
voice the sentiment Of the New York
Central, the Erie, the Chicago, Mil
waukee and st. Paul, the Northern Pa
cific, the Illinois Central, the Lacka-
wanna and other railway companies,
spoke vigorously to-day before the
House Committee on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce against the Cooper
Quarles bill or any proposition to au-
thorize the Interstate Commerce Com
mission TO fix railway rates. Spencer
is the first direct and official repre-
sentative of the railways to be heard
by the committee. and his testimony is
regarded as the keynote of the opposi-
ton to rate-fixing by the Government.
There is no difference of opinion, "
said Spencer, between the railroads of
the country, Congress and the Presi-
dent on the subject that rebates are
tional legislation is necessary in order
to proceed against that particular
class of abuses. If such legislation does
appear to Congress to be necessary the
railways of the country will certainly
stand ready to aid and cooperate.
THE question before you is not of
that character-it is that of the power
to name a rate upon the part of the
commission after complaint and hear
ing. 1t has been claimed this will be
a means Of stopping rebates. This
claim / have no hesitation in disput-
ing.
FIXED RATE CAN BE EvADED.
'It is claimed" he continued. that
this power would be a weapon in the
hands of the commission to prevent re-
bates. But rate fixed by the COM
mission can be rebated or evaded Just
as easily as any other The use of that
weapon, If given to the commission,
but the one which upheld the rate"
The most important claim in behalf
Of the proposition Spencer believed to
be that such power would enable the
commission to prevent discrimination
between lOCdilliGS. question OIL
adjusting rates between localities he
said, was the most difficult and intri-
cate of all. The present system was
the growth of natural competition not
only between local roads, which would
always exist, but between railroads as
well. To disturb this system, he main
tained would not only be task sc
enormous that no statement could
convey a comprehension of it, bui
would be impossible of satisfactory
completion in the hands of body with
authority only to take into considera-
tion the one phase of adjusting rates
with reference TO their equalization 81
far as the carrier was concerned and
leaving out the question OF competition
between localities.
SECRETARY MORTON's VIEWS.
Paul Morton. Secretary OF the Navy
and formerly vice president of the At.
Gibson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad
Company, is the author of an article
on the railway rate question which
will be published in the outlook to.
morrow
The Secretary says there are very few
complaints against railroad rates pei
sc In the United States, the chief trou.
bic being with the relation OF rates
as between markets" He says there
are as many rates that are too low al