The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-10-27
REPLIES TO MIR. TAFT
SENATOR FORAKER OF OHIO ISSUES
 STATEMENT.
Declares That There Is Ample Remedy Provided by Present Laws for Persons Who are Discrimi-
 mated Against.

Cincinnati, Oct. 26.-Although con- fined to his home under the orders of his physician and compelled to cancel several speaking engagements during the last few days, United States Sena- tor Foraker has been following closely the agitation over railroad freight rates and today gave to the press a state- ment answering particularly the argu- ments advanced by Secretary of War Taft, in his speech at Akron, Ohio. last Saturday night.
 In the course of his statement, Sena- tor Foraker says no question has arisen in American politics in recent years of anything like such importance except ing the free silver question. He then takes issue with the assumption that those who do not agree with the rem edy proposed by Secretary Taft are op- posed to any remedy whatever.
 50 far as I am aware" says Senator Foraker, Tit Is universally admitted that in the past many evil practices have obtained; that some of them still obtain that none of them should be allowed to continue; that an efficient and expeditions remedy should be pro- vided against all of them insofar as legislation can provide. The sole diff ference is as to whether conferring the rate making power on the Interstate Commerce Commission is the only or even a necessary remedy. My conten- tion is that 1t Is not necessary and that of all the remedies that have been suggested it Is unqualifiedly the worst"
 However Senator Foraker contends that shippers do not suffer from exces sive rates or rebates at this time and that their real grievance against the railroad is as to discriminations. Those discriminations consist not only of dis criminations between shippers and local- ities, bu. discriminations in commodi- ties, in classification, by means of ter minal charges, elevator charges, re- frigerator charges and many other kinds of charges and devices too nu- merous to mention.
 This has been a most serious trou- ble," continues ths Senator we un- dertook to deal with it when we passed the Elkips law.
 The Supreme Court of the United States has upheld the validity of this statute. It is now in force. There is no reason whatever why, if any locality thinks it Is discriminated against. or any shipper thinks he Is discriminated against, application should not be forth with made for relief and relief secured if the charge can be sustained, for the court is by the statute expressly in- vested with full Jurisdiction to enter tain the complaint and administer complete remedy. This statute has OS0n III toIco eNer SlhSe t"S A of February, 1903 It was passed be- cause these complaints of discrimination between shippers and localities were constantly being made. The law has been much discussed in the newspapers and in the courts and is familiar to all shippers. If they don't take advantage of its provisions 1t Is their fault.
 T think as it stands 1t covers the whole ground. but I also think that 1t can be made more explicit and still mo'e efficient. and I have drafted an amendment which I shall at the proper time submit to my colleagues en the In- terstate Commerce Commission. II Secretary Taft or anybody else will tell me wherein this remedy is deficient. or tell we in what manner better rem edy can be provided by conferring- the rate making power on the Interstate Commerce Commission, we shall then