Evening star., 1905-10-23
MEETING At CHICAGO
Convention in Favor of Rate
Legislation.
E. P. BACON'S EFFORTS
AIMS TO MAKE 1T AN IMPORTANT
GATHERING.
Radicals Hope to Influence Congress
Stand by the Presidents
Recommendations. .,
E. P. BACON'S EFFORTS

There will be held in Chicago Thursday
one of the largest conventions favorinr
legislation for the fixing of railroad rates
py government commission that has ever
gathered In this country. At least that is
the plan or the projectors of the meeting
who for several years have been keeping
alive the agitation for such legislation be-
fore Congress. Mr.. E. 2. Bacon chairman
of the executive committee of the inter-
state commerce law convention that was
held In st. Louis in October OF last year,
has called the convention to meet in Chi
cago, and he is sparing no pains to make
the coming meeting OF greater Importance
in respect to the number of delegates and
the influence it will yield than that of Last
year.
Campaign of the Railways.
1t is well known that the railroads of the
country have carried on an educational
campaign the subject of the proposed
railroad rate legislation ever since Con-
gress adjourned. Even many of the men
who were heartily in favor of the Esch-
Townsend bill that was passed by the
House of Representatives last winter and
then held up in the committee on inter
state commerce of the Senate now freely
declare that there are many provisions In
that measure that can be changed with
tention In the House of Representatives,
but when 1t reached the Senate there was
a general sentiment in favor OF thorough
investigation of the complaints that had
provoked the measure before ii should be
acted on. In pursuance of that plan the
committee interstate commerce, OF
which Senator Elkins of West Virginia is
chairman, was authorized to hold hearings
during the recess of Congress and TO de-
termine what, If any. legislation should be
favored for the correction of these alleged
abuses by the railroads.
Support the Presidents Views.
On the other hand 1t was chadged that
the railroads still give illegal rebates. and
that because of the slowness of the ma
chnery of the law and the impossibility
Of getting quick remedies for discrimina-
tory rates even when discovered, the Presi-
dents Recommendations contained in his
annual message to Congress should be
adopted by Congress by the passage of the
Esch-Townsend bill. which was supposed
to embody In a general way their salient
principles The President had recommended
that "the interstate commerce commission
should be vested with the power, where a
given rate has been challenged. and after
full hearing found to be unreasonable TO
decide subject to judicial review, what
shall be a reasonable rate to take Its place,
the ruling of the commission to take enect
Immediately and to obtain unless and until
il is reversed by the court of review.
The Railways Contention.
The effect of such legislation, 1t was at
once declared by all the great railroad pres
idents of the country, would be to take
from the railroad managers the most i'm
portant function of the railroad companies
that of controlling their revenues. Such
course. they declared, would have been
equivalent to confiscation They asserted
that they were opposed to railroad rate
discrimira alton, but most of them sad they
were sure tha. vigorous enforcement OF
the present law would result in freeing the
entire country from any such discrimina-
ton. These views were given at length IN
the hearings before the Senate committee
on interstate commerce. Practically the
only legislation in addition TO the present
law that was approved by the representa-
tives of the railroads was in favor OF
clearly establishing what many or them de-
clared they believed was already the case
that terminal facilities and private car ser
vices were under the interstate commerce
law.
But while that defense of their position
was made by the Representatives of the
railroads, and has since been urgently
pressed by them, the advocates for addi-
tional legislation who followed the leader
ship of Mr.. Bacon, continued to demand
legislation that would empower a govern.
ment commission to fix a rate when IL was
found to be discriminatory, subject to re-
view by the courts. Many railroad men To-
day declare that the result of the dis
cussion that has been going on since the
adjournment of Congress, the side or the
railroads in this controversy has been
greatly strengthened.
Object Of the Convention.
But the advocates of radical legislation
as the only way to effectually prevent rate
discrimination declare that when Congress
meets they will be found to be much
stronger than is generally supposed. 1t Is
to test their strength and to impress upon
Congress their Importance that the con-
ventlon has been called to meet in Chicago
Thursday. Mr.. Bacon has declared that
fbera &c straDg r,rQspect that the effort