Milford chronicle., 1905-05-12
TAFT SURPRISES
RAILWAY Men
Secretary Of War Declares Rate Leg
islatiOn Must Come.
ARGUED WITH STUYvEsANTFIsH

Washington, May 10.-Secretary oi
War Taft fairly took the breath OF the
300 railway men, members of the In
ternational Railway Congress, dining
as the guests Of the American Railway
Association at the New Willard hotel.
when, after being introduced as "the
apostle from the Philippine" he en-
phatically declared that railway rate
legislation must come; that If the rail-
way men of the country were wise they
would aid and not hinder it; that the
sentiment of the country is such that
failure of proper regulation meant a
campaign on the subject that would do
no good to the railroads.
Absolute silence reigned as Secretary
Taft spoke his mind on the subject of
rates. He was positively against gov
ernment ownership. he said. believing
that nothing 50 deleterious could come
to the country as this solution Of the
question. But" he continued, you
cannot run railroads as you run pri-
vate business. You must respond to the
public demand. If there is danger of
discrimination, then you must allow
the establishment of some tribunal
that will remedy that discrimination
The secretary saw no reason why a
tribunal properly constituted should
not be competent in every sense Of the
word to fix a maximum rate.
President Stuyvesant Fish, Of the
American Railway Association, had in
troduced Secretary Taft. In his "a
pacity as toastmaster Mr.. Fish was on
his feet the instant the secretary con-
cluded. He answered the secretary at
length, taking the view that the law
to prevent discrimination, double deal
ing and secret rebates was ample. and
he vigorously called for the enforce
ment of that law. Mr.. Fish talked of
the vested rights of the money tied up
in railways. He apologized for allow
ing himself to be diverted and as he
sat down, Secretary Taft who sat next
him, queried in a low tone: May I
have Is minutes to reply?" This time
was given, and the secretary utilized it
in making himself even more positive
as to his position in favor of legislation
which would create a tribunal with au-
thority to name a maximum rate. "The |
law now is" continued the secretary, !
"as decided by the supreme court of |
the United States, that first a commits |
sion and then the courts may decide |
a particular rate is reasonable |
or unreasonable. Now in fixing that N |
the very mental process in determining |
a rate is reasonable or unrea- |
sonable, one has got to fix what is a
maximum rate. AS I understand it, |
what is proposed is only that in liti-
gated cases a commission shall be con-
stituted that shall fix a maximum rate;
In other words, to go through the same
process it now goes through to deter
mine what is a reasonable rate. What
am strongly in favor of, though, is
that we shall have body that shall
decide things and that those things
shall be decided within a reasonable
lime finally by the courts. +"
Mr. Fish again took up the argument,
it was the question of fix
ng the price for the seller of goods.
NJ Jusserand, the French ambassa-
lor; Emile Heurteau, of Paris, a mem
,er of the permanent commission of
he congress; Jean Kologrivoff, minis
er of communication, Russia, and
Wayne MacVeagh also delivered
Deaches