Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-11
ITS WORK
international Railway Con-
gress Soon to Adjourn.
WORK OF SECTIONS
MAY VISIT THE BIG
EXHIBITION TOMORROW.
Banquet at New Willard Tonight
Traffic Rates Further Discussed
Notes of the Session.

The executive committees of the internal
tional railway congress and of the Ameri-
can railway appliance exhibition are ar
ranging to wind up their affairs, and the
delegates to the congress are getting ready
to leave the city. But, although the close
of a most interesting series of meetings
and most brilliant succession Of social
events is drawing nigh, there yet remain
two of the most important events of the
ten days, one of which will take place this
evening in the New Willard Hotel-the Sec
ond part of the banquet rendered to the
foreign delegates by the American Railway
Association-and the other probably tomor-
row or Saturday-the expected visit of
President Roosevelt to the display on the
White Lot.
The talk in the hotel corridors these days
is about the debate between President
Stuyvesant Fish of the American Railway
Association and Secretary Taft of the War
Department. at the first part of the BAN
quet given Tuesday evening. The query
now is: Will the subject come up again
this evening? The public well as the
railroad men is intensely interested In
this question.
Work of the Sections.
The conclusions reached by the fourth
section of the congress this week with ref
erence to railway rates are worthy of spe-
cial attention, in view of the general dis
cussion of that subject now in progress.
These conclusions were substantially that
the main idea to be considered in the fixing
of rates Is the commercial principle that OBJ
tains in other businesses. The only limi-
tation apparently regarded by the section
as worthy of particular mention concerned
the matter of discrimination. This was, OF
course, discountenanced, but. taking this
point to be conceded the evident feeling
was that questions of reasonabeness should
be left entirely in the hands of the rail-
ways themselves, and that they should de-
termine them in the case of each rate upon
the principle of charging what the traffic
will bear" That expression, it is said, has
been abused, and, perhaps for that very rea-
son, the section avoids its use, but the idea
is regarded as the same.
More and more in railway circles the plan
of charging what the traffic will bear-this
phrase to be interpreted in a fair and rea-
sonable senSe-is being accepted. In the
railway hearings now in progress before
the senate committee the principle of max
ing rates in accordance with the value of
the service has been developed at length,
and in most of the recent railroad literature
1t has been the one to receive favor. Some
limitation and definition is usually added
by those who announce their adherence to
it. The fourth section of the congress ex-
must take into account the special condi-
tons which bear upon the commercial value
of the services rendered" which means, it
is pointed out that the plan of charging
what the traffic will bear must be applied
upon broad lines.
Will Stand the Final Test.
This principle said a railroad man to-
day, lis the only one that stands the test
OF analysis, since all other proposed sys-
TENS proye a he 1opica lIy 1efectiya cor,a
point, and hence impracticable. If the true
meaning of this principle should be grasped
by our legislators they would probably
adopt a somewhat different attitude toward
certain railway questions. The fear often
expressed concerning it is that, in charging
what traffic will bear, the ultimate inter-
ests of the consumer and shipper will not
be observed-a supposition which really
takes it for granted that the railway does
not know its own interest. The best inter-
ests both of shippers and of railways con-
sist in having as large a movement of
freight as is practicable. 1t Is, therefore,
only the danger of Short-Sighted manage
ment that can be reasonably feared by
those who dread unreasonable rates. The
greater danger to be guarded against in our
whole railway situation is essentially that
of discrimination and not of unreasonable
ness. Without doubt this is the thought
behind the carefully guarded expressions of
the fourth section
The exhibitors on the White lot are only
waiting until they hear exactly what time
the President may be expected to visit the
grounds to give orders to their workmen to
begin the demolition of the fair. 1t is now
thought that the presidential train will
reach this city about noon tomorrow. If
this is the case, the chief executive will
doubtless visit the exhibition either tomor-
row afternoon or Saturday morning. The
general committee of arrangements are
going upon the supposition that he will
take in the display, although they will not
say they have received a final acceptance of
their invitation.
Hundreds of people who presented green
daily admission tickets at the gates of the
exhibition last evening were turned away,
the announcement having been made dur
ing the day through the press that only the
holders of the white season passes would
be admitted after o'clock in the evening.
This rule will hold tonight and until the
exhibition closes.
Session This Afternoon.
The first general session of the interna-
tional railway congress since the opening
exercises is in progress this afternoon.
This morning the sections met as usual
Section one took up the question of con-
crete and embedded metal used in various
railway structures. Papers were presented
by Serge de Kareischa Of Russia, profess
sor to Emperor Alexander I, and w. Asst,
chief civil engineer of the kaiser. The re-
ports show the increasing use of concrete
in all kinds OF railway construction, includ-
ing station buildings and water tanks
Electric traction, discussed by joint
meeting of sections two and five, Is looked
upon a useful auxiliary to steam trac-
ton. Papers on the subject were presented
by NJ. F.. Paul-DubOis of the Orleans rail-
way. Ernest Gerard of Belgium, w. D.
Young of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
and Victor Tremontani of the electrical de-
partment of the Italian railways.
Section five has reached the conclusion
that government and local authorities
should accord to light railways the sup
port which they need for construction and
operation, either in the form of direct
subsidies, relaxation of requirements, or
other assistance.
Special arrangements for an inspection