Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-06-24
AGITATION
FOR RAILROAD
LEGISLATION

II Is evident that there IN TO be no
cessation to the agitation for rail,
road rate legislation by congress dur.
Ing the summer months, says the
Washington correspondent OF the To.
peka Herald,
Both sides to the controversy keen
working away and laying plans for
the big struggle that will come with
the reassembling OF congress,
One rather peculiar phase Of the
situation Is. that various commercial
bodies, business organizations, con.
%ventions and associations, while pass.
Ing resolutions declaring against re,
bates ETC., and indors!ng the president
do not seem to suggest any specific
remedy. They pass resolutions OF a
general nature and declare that the
interstate commerce commission
should have power to regulate rates.
All OF these resolutions are care.
fully clipped and filed by the man.
agement Of the railroad bureaus. and
when the proper time comes. will be
brought out as an argument against
any further rate legislation, The shib.
boleth Of the railroads Is:
Why don't the interstate commerce
commission enforce the laws now on
the books against rebates and private
switching charges? Why don't the
shippers and the consumers make
more complaint"
"And why II is that a large majority
Of the shipping public that testified
before the senate committee on inter.
state commerce during the recent
hearings do not favor any change in
existing law"
In this connection the railroad PEG.
pie point out with much apparent sat.
isfaction the declaration. of the Ohio
republican platform which was unani.
mously adopted at the late state con-
vention, to-wit:
I'VE also indorse every effort for
the active enforcement of existing
laws to stop all unjust determinations
and special favors in the form Of rail.
way rebates or by any other device,
and we favor such further legislation
as may, after full investigation, seem
to the republican congress and admin.
istration wise and conservative, yet
adequate to prevent unfair advant.
ages to any and to promote and in
sure the rights of all individuals"
The railroad managers claim that
this is a direct Endorsement Of their
position; that had the Ohio republi-
cans felt so disposed they would have
come out openly for giving the inter-
state commerce commission power to
fix rates, and that this plank will be
taken as the republican position on
the question.
1t Is further pointed. out that Sen
ator Foraker, a prominent member OF
the senate committee on interstate
and foreign commerce.. had a copy Of
the Ohio plank submitted to him be.
fore it was made public and adopted
by the convention.
But while the railroads are active,
the opponents and advocates OF rate
reform are by no means idle.
The National Federation of Millers,
representing 10000 mills, with a capa-
city of 1000, 900 bushels Of wheat
daily. at a recent convention adopted
the following:
1.-The Millers' National Federation
heartily indorse the position of Presi-
dent Roosevelt with respect to doing
away with private rebates, and also
for unjust determinations In the
transportation Of Interstate commerce,
and to further urge that all private
car lines and allied corporations OF
like nature be brought under the con-
troll of the interstate laws to the full.
est extent, the same as our public rail-
roads.
BE it further resolved. that We
urge the government authorities to In
vestigate all such conditions and to
see that existing laws are properly en-.
to the end that all shippers. re-
CARELESS of their Importance, be plac-
ed at all times on an equal footing"
The above is an Endorsement OF the
bill Of Congressman Stevens OF Mime
sofa, to regulate the private car lines.
and place thin undr the control and
management of the interstate COM