The San Francisco call., 1905-02-15
OPPOSES RATE
MAKING POWER
Board Of Trade Declares
Interests of State Are
Very Largely Concerned
RESOLUTION ADOPTED
California Congressional
Delegation Is Requested
to Exercise Influence

The California State Board OF Trade
adopted resolutions yesterday opposing
the conferring Of power on the Inter-
state Commerce Commissioners to reg
ulate rates of transportation on inter-
state commerce. and declared itself to
be in unqualified opposition" B'or rea-
sons the board set forth the followingi
The comforting of suoh power would. in the
Commerce Commission Into a board of traffic
managers for all the railroads carrying inter-
state traffic pency " ~hion c would i1q 6s ns sns
the extinguishment of every element Of conn
petition.
crystaIlized IN what is known a. the antitrust
law the provisions of which were % SUCCESS
fully invoked in resisting the merger Of the
Northern Pacific and the Great Northern rail-
roads.
It would vest the Interstate Commerce Com
mission with the power to regulate tho earn
ing capacity of the 81. 400, 600 600 invested In
the railroads of the country. and by thua con-
stitutfng that commission q potent factor In
the transportation business OF the country
right to enter the arena OF politics In their
corporate capacity as measure o. defense
against the possible arbitrary and connscatnr7
exercise Of this power.
It would engender at oncs sectional strife
between the different portions Of the coun-
try as to the measure Of protection which this
fer upon the various sections-A contest in
which the newer and more sparsely settled
reason of the overmastering political power
of the populous centers. and from this source
of danger the products OF California are e.
The export commerce., IN the green citrus
and deciduous fruits. the dried and cured
fruits the vegetables, the wine and the lun-
average distance of over two thousand hve
hundred miles to reach their center Of distri-
button in the s nstss States
carried an average distance Of less than two
hundred and fifty miles Owing to the dispar-
ity in volume between the eastbound and west
bound traffic the railroads have heretofore
carried the products of California the distance
noted and delivered them in Eastern markets
fully compete with like products in the freight
movement OF which but one-tenth OF the dis
tance has been covered.
That this fostering policy, referrabie to the
existing condition of traffic, would Be con-
tinued under political control and direction
of freight distribution in the United States IL
not even probable. In view Of these objections,
be Il
Resolved by this board. That the Senators
State of California be requested to exercise
their influence and cast their votes against
comerce eSs neres conmisson the pow.r to AZ he
rates Of transportation the Interstate con-
merce Of this country.
The following resolution was also
adopted:
Resolved, That IT is the sense OF the Cali
fornia State Board of Trade that the para
graph in the river and harbor bill before Con-
gress providing for the appointment Of conn
mission of three United States army engineers
to investisats the problem conneoted with the
qufn rivers. and the reclamation Of the land
subject to overflow therefrom, be approved
and indorsed: and be II further
Resolved, That It is the opinion Of this board
that no appropriation should be made by the
State Of California nor It's credit In any way
be pledged for the purpose OF the reclamation
Of said lands. until such time the board Of
engineers provided in the foregoing resolution
have had time to make their Investigations
and have rnade their reyorf