Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-06-16
RATE REGULATION
IS NOT ABANDONED
People Are Still Determined to
Have Action Taken on
the Subject
cono,eccMEN GETTING WISE
coNeREssMEN GETTING WISE
Prediction That They Will Return to
Washington With Better Appreci-
alton Of the Peoples Temper In the
Matter Than When They Left Capt.
tai Last Spring.

Washington, June 16.-That the
, onas+;op of railroad rate regulation
, laws will be the paramount one IN the
next session of congress is receiving
moro acceptance with each passing
week. Whether legislation Will be Sc
cured is debated sharply, some PUBL
cists insisting that congress VIII come
ba n. 4, the fall convinced that it must
TACT. and that the senate Will ylelo 10
the nressure of the demand which will
come IN from the people and be voiced
by the president.
On the other hand there is high au-
thority for the statement that ehe
great railroad interests not only De-
llieye there will be no legislation, out
even insist that the crest of the wave
of popular demand has been passed
and that the excitement over the sub
| ject is subsiding.
Opponents of legislation point espec-
lially to the testimony adduced before
| the senate committee on interstate
commerce, as evidence that there is no
real insistence on legislation Ihey
say that most of the testimony OF
shippers was opposed to giving the IN
terstate commission rate making
| powers.
| To this showing the answer is made
that the senate committees hearing
was carefully organized to secure the
best possible showing for the railroad
| side of the question. 1t is true that
| many large shippers testified to their
satisfaction with present conditions.
But against this it is declared that
| these shippers either are the actual
be1efieiaries of present inequitabie
conditions, or else We're constrained by
| fear of railroad retaliation to take the
railroad side of the argument.
| On this point it is strongly urged
that whole communities whose senti-
ment is almost unanimous in favor OF
legislation, were made to appear op-
posed to it because one or two or
three large shippers, assuming to rep
resent them, testified that there was
no demand for chance in conditions.
Some particularly strong Illustrations
of this alleged Misrepresentation OF
public opinion in middle western cities
are pointed out, and it is said that the
organizations that are moving for
amendment Of the laws will take steps
to make the real public demand clear.
Issue is Sectional.
| Observation of opinion in different
sections of the country leads to the
conclusion that the issue is somewhat
sectional The manufacturing east
has crystallized no important senti-
ment in favor of legislation for two
reasons: One is that the east contains
most Of the railroad investors and the
other is that the east is, on the whole,
the chief beneficiary of present condi-
tions.
The middle west and the farther
west want legislation, it is declared
by those who claim to know the sit
uation and they will not long allow
| their attitude to be misunderstood as
a. result of such artifices as the recent
senate committee hearing.
In the South.
| AS to southern opinion it was set
forth interestingly by business man
!, from a southern city whose interest in
the cotton industry recently brought
| him here on mission related to the
cotton crop report charges.
f! He said the south needed a new deal,
| and that is fair expression of intel
ligent opinion could be secured it
would favor legislation. But he point
ed out that the south is in a different
position from either the east or the
west Money invested in the indus
tries of the south is largely owned in
| the north, and it's owners have inter-
ests which tend to make them conser-
vative about lining up against the rail-
roads. AS to getting wide and deep
interest in such an issue developed in
the south, he said it was hard be-
cause the race problem so entirely
overshadows everything else there.
And finally the south is represented
mainly by democrats; and this observ-
re anticipated that the democrats
would play politics and oppose any
republican measure. With no organiz-
ed and determined opinion on the sub
| ject at home to force them to do other
wise, the southern democrats would be
able to follow the lines of least resist
ance and, making politics the excuse,
please the railroads by using their
votes to prevent legislation.
People Want Legislation.
| This is not a very comforting dag
nosis for those who want legislation
The other side of the picture is pre-
sented by a gentleman who is supposed
| to know the views of the leading ad-
vocates of legislation, and who is
thoroughly in sympathy with them
| Said he:
1T is true there has been misrepre-
sentation of the peoples demand fo1
legislation. 1t is true that men have
come here and told the senate commit
| tee their home communities did not
want new law passed, when they alb
solutely know that 50 per cent of the
people at home earnestly favored a
| strong new law. 1t is true that the
! railroads have made a showing that