Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-11-21
WILL Be MEMORABLE
Senator Dolliver Predicts In
portant Legislation at Com
ing Congress
PREDICTS a. RATE BILL
Says Presidents Message Will 30 tho
Keynote for Legislation and That
Railway Rate Control Will be Given
Unusual Prominence In That Doc
ument.

u
ument.
Fort Dodge, Nov. 21.--Senator Dol
liver, with his family. left sunday
night for Washington, to take up the
work Of the approaching session OF
ly about the prospective legislation.
"The present session Of congress"
he said, rs likely to become lnemor-
able on account of the importance of
questions with which it has to deal. 1t
is likely that the presidents message
will give the keynote Of congressional
activity for the winter. And unless all
reports are at fault, the message Will
give an overshadowing prominence to
the railroad rate question. l have
very strong hopes that there will be
wisdom enough in congress to bring
both houses together in support Of the
presidents recommendation On this
subject.
1T is unfortunate, in sense, that
persistent attempts have been made to
befog the public mind as to what this
president wishes to have done. Vast
quantities Of literature have teen cir
culated to warn the people against
the policy Of taking the business OF
railroads out of the hands Of their
managers and putting it into tile hands
Of a government commission. All this
literature iss solemnly circulated as If
proposition like that was pending In
congress. Books have been written,
some of them evidently made to order,
to exhibit the evils Of government own.
ership. and to portray the insfficiency
of European methods of dealing with
the railway problem. All these efforts
to educate public opinion are well
enough in their way, but they do not
deal with the question which President
Roosevelt has raised.
THAT question Is simple and easily
understood. Shall a. complain. made by
a shipper that the rate charged is UNI
reasonable be decided by the 'sraffic de-
partment of the road without appeal,
or shall the government create an Inn
partial tribunal to hear and ildjudicate
such complaints with fairness and
justice to both parties? That is ex-
actly what President Roosevelt pro-
poses.
'sro say that such a provision of law
takes the business of the railroads out
of their hands and turns it over to
the government, is an utter confusion
of the subject. Such a tribunal to
bring to fair settlement rate contro-
yersies between railroads and tthe
shipping community Is absolutely es-
sential to permanent, good under
standing between the great interests
involved. Instead of disturbing their
relations, it will operate to pacify and
compose them Conscious tf it's right
to appeal to tribunal, with no inter
est in the question, except 10 do what
is right and just. the shipper will
meet the traffic manager under condi-
lions which will, in nearly every case,
enable them to agree together, SO that
instead of introducing an element of
nifty, the proposal of the president
looks In the direction Of peace and
good will. I am of the opinion that
such legislation, far from injuring the
railroads or their patrons will tend
toward better conditions for both of
Them"
Tariff.
Senator Deliver was asked about
the prospects Of tariff legislation In
this session Of congress. AS to that
he said:
''It is little difficult to- predict. l
think nearly everybody is agreed that
a general revision of the tariff is not
called for at this time. Whether spe-
cific changes could be. made in the
schedules here and there in the tariff
act of 1897 Is practically a question
of parliamentary tactics. II you could
get everybody to agree on the schedule
which needs amendment, our path
would be comparatively plain. But the
discussion has already. developed the
fact that tariff revision means one
thing In Massachusetts and quite an
other thing in Iowa, and 1t requires no
very deep knowledge Of affairs to see
that when the question is opened it is
likely to be open from ore end to the
other. It is because President Roose-
welt understands the situation that he
is not likely to urge the question of
tariff revision, as a matter calling for
the Immediate attention of congress.
My own opinion is that there will be
no general tariff legislation prior to the
next presidential election, and have
a very distinct conviction that the re-
publican party will go into that fight
with the fair understanding with the
people that the party will take up the
tariff question with the view to re-
duce such duties as are higher than
necessary for the protection Of our do
nestle industry.
"The Dingley tariff law will by that
time be over ten years cid, and in the.
natural order Of things will be super.
coded, but the American people will b.,
fortunate, indeed, if the next step in
tariff legislation is followed by ten
years of such industrial growth and
development as that which resulted
from the legislation of 1897
Senator Doiliver said that he expect
ed the session to last at least until
June and to be one of the busiest in
recent years.
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