The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-21
SOLUTION OF RATE PROBLEM
OFFERED ny PRESIDENT FUTILE
OF THE BOSTON AND MAINE.
lie says That the United states District
Courts Could, on Recommendation
OF the Interstate Commission, Pass
on Complaints OF Unreasonable Rates.


Courts Could, on Recommendation
OF the Interstate Commission, Pass
on Complaints or Unreasonable Rates.
WASHINGTON April ga new and
apparently feasible solution Of the rate
regulation problem was resented 20 the
Senate Committee on Interstate Commerce
to-day by President Lucius futile OF the
Boston and Maine Railroad. Mr.. 1uttle
believes that Congress has no power TO
tx rates, but even If it had the result would
be calamitous because the same rates would
not apply TO all paris Of the country and the
changed conditions would paralyze in
dustry. He thought however, that the
United States District Courts could, on
Recommendation Of the Interstate Com
me rec Commission, pass on complaints
Of unreasonable rates and declare what
was a reasonable rate in those given cases.
he would also provide that the courts
should hear and dispose Of such cases
without delay, which would obviate one
Of the greatest objections to the present
system.
As to the powers Of the Interstate Com
merce Commission. Mr.. Tuttle would take
away all it's powers except those Of inves-
tigation Of complaints. He would have 1t
stand as a buffer between the railroads
and the people. But at present the com-
mission had too many duties 70 perform.
All the rubbish as he called It, such as
the keeping Of statistics and the enforce
ment Of the coupler law, should be trans
ferTed TO the Department OF commerce
and Labor, SO as to leave the Commission
free TO carry out the purpose for which It
was created.
Mr.. Tuttle contended that the present
law, II enforced, was ample 70 deal with
railroad questions. The long and short
haul clause he would not repeal. because
It was necessary. No new legislation was
needed in regard 10 rebates. All that was
needed was enforcement Of the present
statute. There was plenty Of machinery
now, bat Il did not work The Interstate
Commerce Commission had not shown
any evidence Of enforcing the rebate law
There were always means OF fndinR out
when re bates were paid, for competitive
shippers quickly know Of IL. The law had
been on the statute books for two years,
and yet there had notbeen single prose
cution under IL.
Asked as TO the private car line evil, Mr..
Tuttle said he believed those lines were now
subject TO the interstate commerce law,
matter il would be 30 decided But II It
were found that the commission did not
have the power over them, he had no DOUBT
Congress would quickly supply II. He did
not view the private car as an evil On
his road a trihe more mileage than ordinary
cars we're given them, on account OF their
greater cost and utility but they had no
monopoly OF IT, and their charges for icing
there were reasonable. The roads, he said,
could not afford 70 keep their own cans be
Nhs.wr 1Wh aF n
weeks In the year whereas at present they
we're moved all over the country where
needed. Undoubtedly they had cheapened
fruits and vegetables to the consumer,
and without them no market would be open
70 great sections Of the country.
Mr.. Tuttle gave the committee lucid
explanation Of the science Of rate making
and the reasons for the great difference
In rates, and Of why many goods were
carried at loss for the purposes OF com
merce, 6o. One instance was the rate on
boots and shoes, which were carried from
Maine to st. Louis for ~ cents pair
becausslthe shoe factories could not come
pete otherwise The closing OF these
shops would throw thousands out OF em-
ployment, and the railroad would suner
because those employees would be unable
20 purchase other articles carried TO Name
by the railroad at profit.
Another was that one year Boston was
flooded with potatoes from Michigan, and
the lhIIutIb NOulQ NOV NOllluNN WIZ
them in price. SO the Boston and Maine
had reduced the freight 20 cents a barre
and the Maine potato crop had been mar
keted instead Of rotting in the cellars.
He defended the low rates made across
the continent owing TO water competition
as not being unfair 10 intermediate points.
Il would do the latter no good. he declared
The only thing that would happen II those
rates were equalized would be that the great
transcontinental traffic would be shut on,
the Pacific Coast would be supplied by other
nations and the vessels, too, would proht;
The inferno date points would not, and
they would suffer from other ways 10y the
Withdrawal of through traffic which EN-
ployed some Of their mon.
Mr. 1uttle ridiculed the idea that COM
mission could be appointed which could
fix rates for tho whole country. The presi-
dent, or the boards Of directors even, would
not undertake anything Of the kind for
their own roads, and Mr.. Gould, Mr.. Van
derbit, Mr.. Morgan and Mr., Hartman,
although they might control Thousands OF
miles Of track, could no more make rates
for them than a blacksmith could repair
fine watch. Rate making was work for
the highest experts. The traffic managers
did Il, and they succeeded because they
were continually on the watch for public
vocaaaffiol IN that line