The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-01-23

A c. Bird, Of Chicago. vice president
Of the several railroads comprising the
Gould system, including the Wabash.
Missouri Pacific, Iron Mountain. Texas
Pacific, and others. was the principal
speaker this morning before the House
Committee on Interstate and Foreign
Commerce.
Mr.. Bird said the popular demand was
for an abolition of the system of secret
rebates. He declared that rates. unrea-
sonable and unjust in themselves. have
practically disappeared from the rail
roads of the United States. The rates
that have been declared unjust by the
courts have been SO declared because
they involved the principle of the differ
ential-the discrimination in favor of one
market against another.
Pith of Controversy.
This is the pith Of the controversy, :"
said Mr.. Bird. at is a necessary pre-
rogative of tho Interstate Commerce
Commission that it should have power
to settle controversies OF this character
| between rival communities The com
petition between rival carriers is not
comparable in kind or intensity with
| the competition between rival cities
| Competing railroads may reconcile their
! differences. but no means has yet been
! devised whereby competing communities
may be induced or required TO relax
| their efforts TO secure trade.
This is well. perhaps. Such COM
petition is most wholesome and best
calculated to bring the best results to
the whole people
Principle of Competition.
Mr. Bird said railroad legislation in
the past had proceeded along the line
of competition: that now proposed
seemed designed to prevent competi-
ton.
| 1t is revolutionary, rather than eyo-
luuonary," he declared. THE PROPOSE
tions submitted tend to the absolute
destruction of competition"
Chairman Hepburn suggested that
under the proposed legislation the
commission would not be allowed to
fix rate save upon complaint, after
investigation and the determination
that the rate is unreasonable"
Would not the commission nnces.
sar1ly determine all questions between
communities, as well as the specific
question OF the justice of the particu.
lar rate itself?" he asked
| Mr.. Bird insisted that in practice tn,
| commission would never be able to con,
side- all the questions involved II,
| said, further, that a rate cOmDensat tory
today might threaten bankruptcy to IN
| railroad In the course Of a few months
| TO maintain just differentiaI a rail
road must have power to advance o
decrease rates on commodities.
Cannot Fix Rates.
81 want to make it clear to the com
mittee," said Mr.. Bird, that no suci
body of men as is proposed can settl
and regulate the rates of the great rail
road systems of this country"
Mr.. Bird illustrated bis argument b,
discussing the grain rates between In
grain-producing sections of the countr
and ports on the Atlantic and the Cult
He also cited the controversy betwee
Milwaukee and Minneapolis when IN
Interstate Commerce Commission la
acknowledged its inability to settle tn
! difficulty. and representatives of tn
rival boards of trade had been able I
( agree only as 10 a very restricted terri
tory.
Mr. Bird laid great stress on the diff
culties of fixing and maintaining jus
| dlnerentialS
A Popular Fallacy.
Y Answering a question of Mr. Lamar
| of Florida Mr. Bird said the idea tha