Milford chronicle., 1905-07-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.


- lslation. At least they have recently sen
out confidential statements from the pres
!. bureau which tliey maintain, to oppos,
r. railway rate legislation. say ing that tn,
y President has been convinced of the errg
of his ways and that the effort to secuI
legislation for the protection of shipped
c and consumers will not be seriously
o pressed at the next session of Congressi
Nothing could be further from the truth.
: The President is just as much in earnest
as he ever was. He will present in his
next message to Congress the strongest
possible argument in favor of delegating
to the Interstate Commerce Commission
the power to fix rates wherever the exist
ing schedules are found, on examination,
to be unjust, the rates fixed by the Com
mission to take effect Immediately and to
go into effect within from thirty to sixty
days and to remain in force until and un-
less set aside by the courts. The great
effort OF the railways vii! be to prevent
any rate set by the Interstate Commerce
Commission from going into effect until
approved by the courts. This would |
mean, of course, sthat the wealthy rail-
roads would keep every contest in the
courts for years, taking appeal after ap-
peal, until the unfortunate shipper who
had made the complaint was exhausted,
financially ruined, or dead.
With the law advocated blythe Presi-
dent once on the statutes it is probable
that there would be comparatively few
instances in which the Interstate Com \
merce Commission would feel it necessary {
to fix rates for the reason that the rail- a
roads themselves, knowing that such
power existed, would take care to make
and just rates. There might 4
be numerous complaints to the Commits t
non but there would probably be few in y
tances where the Commission would find [
t necessary to exercise its rate making p
'ower. The railroads appreciate all this
ull well, and dread the day when they h
nay be compelled to make just rates in Fl
rder to avoid the changing of their Sc
chedues by the Commission. al
The President has not, under our Con in
tuition, any legislative authority and S;
] he can do is to exert his influence as
hief Executive, and as dispenser of fed ic
al patronage, He must, therefore, re- bu
i've the hearty support Of the people if We
is to succeed in persuading Congress to in
act any really material reform iegsla-
~. The railroads have many represen- ito
ives IN both houses of Congress who fro
] fight for their master to the bitter pre-
/ and the people must give TO the Presi- his
1t their most enthusiastic support if he stO
o win. The railroads have been verv 9th
yer in their campaign and have already her
suaded many members of Congress A
sibly majority, that public sentiment ton
ot with the President in his campaign OF
square deal for the shippers aud \
sumets They have brought before phi
Interstate Commerce Committee of the
Senate numerous shippers, behOlden faith
he railroads for favors of one sort or
ther, who have testified that the ship
do not want railway rate legislation
as a result these members Of both
se and Senate who never have very
ng convictions are disposed to vote 81
nst the legislation Urged by the Presi by t
;, a., -, ,.t, wee
~ W. ~ Eopio Gi 'ilg f c4nnory 3a Ieally ap all
ident is prepared to conduct in their
llf they will not get to work immedi- wish
z. Legislatures must be petitioned to danC
'uct their Senators to vote for the leg c.,
ms must he adopted SINNERS SINNERS mnef mist or eV
nize and genuine hard work must be on
by, every man interested in the de- pres
of the railway schemes. Otherwise rive
powerful railway lobby which will be 81
IashingtOn next winter will win in a was
say t
lder the strong impetus given it by ladie
President, the investigation of the az -
rtment of Agriculture's bureau of
itics Is moving right along. The IOIs'
dent has taken the whole matter out days
e hands of Secretary Wilson and has surp;
ded it to the Department of Justice. b,,t ,
Solicitor General Hoyt and District -
'ney Beach are pushing the investi- nave
n dS Idpluly as circumstances Will Ddlu,
it. 1t is generally believed that John their
!, chief Statictician of the Bureau, t;as ,
De asked to resign when the investi- -
n is concluded 1t is not shown that again
Hyde was guilty of anything in the licens
savoring of dishonesty but it is their
ed that he has manifested serious or a.,
lpetence and a grave lack of admin -, =,
i've ability and that the investigation IdInli
ihow that he is not up to the heavy place
nsibilities which must necessarily as at
We on the Chief Statistician, the most a. n;
'tant of which is the capacity to - -
men. Pdltl
appointment af NJ. Witte, vice NJ. it stC
vioff as Chief Russian plenipoten- liouol
10 the coming peace conference is as eel
led as an exceptionally favorable in - -
IN that lasting peace will be the OHs
of the conference. Although it has d. g.,
deemed impolitic to discuss it, it is four c
Omitted that grave apprehension Ter NJ
It over the selection OF NJ Muravioh -,
he Russian peace party had from Del''
st urged that NJ. Witte, who op preSef
the war with Japan originally and Hotel
las long been a sincere advocate of Me-