Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1905-12-02
/
|. STANDS PAT
ON RATE BILL
Demands Unconditional Sur
render From Railways.
PRESIDENT WON'T CONSIDER
COMPROMISE FOR A MOMENT
Senators Frye, Hall, Proctor and Dill
ingham Have Been Won Over
to the Administration.
Correspondence Morning Journal.

Correspondence Morning Journal.
Washington, Nov. 29--It is certain
that bill for government control over
railroad rates will be passed by con-
gress at this session of congress. The
people of the country can safely pin
their faith to this prediction.
President Roosevelt favors the pas
sage of a bill along the lines of his ar
gument presented in his speech at
Raleigh, N. c., October 10. In this
speech the president said, In part;
Il do not believe in government
ownership of anything which can with
propriety be left in private hands, and
in particular | should most strenuous
ly. object to government ownership Of
railroads.
But | believe with equal flrmness
that II is out of the question for the
government not to exercise a super
visory and regulatory right over the
railroads; for II Is vital to the well-be-
ing of the public that they should be
managed in a spirit of fairness and
justice toward all the public.
Government supervision Is needed
quite as much in the interest OF the
big shipper and of the railroad man
who wants to do right as in the inter-
est of the small shipper and the con-
sumner.
Experience has shown that the
present laws are defective and need
amendment. The effort to prohibit
all restraint of competition, whether
reasonable or unreasonable, is unwise.
What we need is to have some admin
istrative body (the Interstate COM
merce eommission) with ample power
TO forbid combination thatSs hurtful
to the public. and to prevent favorit-
ism to one individual at the expense Of
another. In other words. we want an
administrative body with the power to
secure fair and Just treatment as
among all shippers who use the rail-
roads-and all shippers have a right
to use them.
Wants Quick Action.
"We must not leave the enforce
ment of such a law merely to the de-
partment OF justice: 1t Is out of the
question for the law department OF
the government to do what should be
purely administrative work. The de-
partment of justice Is to stand behind
and cooperate with the administra-
tive body but the administrative body
Itself must be given the power to do
the work and then held TO a strict ac-
countability for the exercise of that
power.
"The delays of the law are proven
bial, and what we need in this matter
is reasonable quickness of action.
THE abuses OF which we have a
genuine right TO complain take many
shapes. Rebates are not often given
openly. But they can be given just as
effectively In covert form: and private
gssst NE,r.I IL. L..
must be brought under the control Of
the commission or administrative
body, which is TO exercise supervision
by the government.
But in my judgment the most Inn
portaat thing to do Is to give this ad-
ministrative body power to make It's
findings effective, and this can be done
only by giving II power. when COM
plaint Is made of a given rate as be-
ing unjust or unreasonable, IL IL finus
the complaint proper, then Itself to fix
a maximum rate which 1t regards az
Just and reasonable. this rate to go
into effect practically at once. that Is.
within reasonable time, and to stay
In effect unless reversed by the
courts
If there is In the minds of the
commission any suspicion that a GER
tain railroad is in any shape or way
giving rebates or behaving improper
ly wish the commission TO have pow
er as a matter of right, not as mat
ter of favor to make a full and ex-
haustive investigation OF the receipts
Nand expenditures of the railroad. so
tfnRt any violation or evasion OF the
lawNmay be detected"
Won't Accept Compromise.
President Rn0uauoIf xtsiiI pnf arranf
the Foraker proposal or any other
compromise. The administration
bill. will, In all probability. be first In
troduced In the senate, and when
passed, will go to the house. where
there Is no doubt OF II being adopted
without amendment.
Newspaper reports from day to day
chronicle stories from Washington to
the effect that there will be big fight
among republican senators on railroad
rate legislation when the issue comes
up for consideration. While there are
number OF commentaries In the
administrations camp now, they are
gradually coming over to the pres-
idents idea of thinking.
Magnates Show White Feather.
The railroad managers are ready to
surrender and In fact have practical-
ly sent their capitulation 10 the
president.
The attorney for a great railroad
system, on behalf OF his own and 9TH
er allied companies, has outlined TO
the president a measure they will ac-
cept. and IL Is In effect the bill that
the president demands
The completeness Of the rout Of the
anti administration forces was indicat-
ed last evening by the statement. on
high authority. that four New Eng
land senators who have been placed IN
all the lists as opposed TO the regula-
tion bill, had sent word TO the White
House that they were In line for the
measure. The names mentioned IN
this connection were Frye and Hale, oi
Maine. and Proctor and Dillingham;. OF
Vermont.
Developments Come Fusf
Affairs have been moving with giant
strides since the senate committee on