The news & observer., 1905-12-15
MIR. ToMPKINs LAST NIGHT.

was the guest of honor last night IF
the Industrial Club and the annual
banquet of that virife organization.
His address contained many things
of interest and value and is printed
in full elsewhere.
Upon the question of government
regulation of railroad rates. Mr..
Tompkins spoke briefly. and in the
course Of his remarks made some
statements that left his hearers in
doubt as to his position. In fact his
declarations look contradictory. We
quote:
''No serious proposition has ever
been made to vest in the Interstate
Commerce Commission the power to
make rates Nobody has pro-
posed lately to enact any new Jaws
about rates and practises but only to
create the machinery to enforce laws
now on the statute books and to the
business of which the railroads are
making no exception"
AS matter of fact. this whole
fight is to, secure a law that will give
the Interstate Commerce Commission
power to fix a maximum rate. when
complaint is made. That is equiva-
lent to giving the. Commission power
to make rates 1t IS that or nothing,
Mr.. Tompkins is in error in saying
that this great fight is ''Only to create
the machinery to enforce laws now on
the statute books" If that is all. then
the fight is a sham one. for there is
no law now on the statute books Civ
ing power to fix a maximum rate
when the commission is shown that
the present rate is TOO high. The rail
roads do not object to the flaws now
on the statute books but they have
the biggest. lobby seen in Washington
i'm this generation to defeat the power
TO fix rates upon complaint. And that
is the principle that Mr.. Roosevelt
saws must lie at the foundation of any
real reforms.
But Mr.. Tomokins goes on then to
compare the railroads to the feudal
baronS Can apt comparison as TO
those that maintain a monopoly who
COLLECTED special tolls according to
their own judgments" Today the rail-
reads charge what they please. as did
the river barons. Mr.. Tompkins tells
them truly that it is to their interest
to sacrifice present gain by illegal or
unwise advantage as against the pub
lie welfare" and ,he closes with the
emphatic dec .aration: 1T is important
that we support President Roosevelt
in his position upon rate regulation"
oln M f1NnCincr
giving the power To make rates, upon
complaint, and is far from 'only to
create the machinery to enforce laws
now on the statute books" Unless the
President, presses for the power to fix
q maximum rate. upon complaint. the
legislation TO be enacted will be a
snam and delusion. and unless It
gives the Commission like power over
refrigerator and like cars. the needed
relief will be denied. The big railroad
presidents are already trying to con-
strue the Presidents recommendation
to mean only that he opposes rebates
and determinations, but he has declar
ed for the power to fix rates when
the existing rate is shown to be too
high. 1t is to confer that power that
the fight has been undertaken, and
unless that power is conferred there
will have to be 'an appeal to Caesar
Most of the noisy defenders of the
National honor" have been found with
the goods on them and are resigning
in the hope of keeping out of the pen
itentiary. Their interest in the ma
tionai honor was on par with the
plea of the boodlers in Philadelphia,
who plead with the voters Don't
go back. on the party of Lincoln.
Perkins is out. Hurry up your
resignation, Mr.. Mccall. But if the
New York Life don't do any better
in the change than TO get con-
fessed rebate giver, it will be a mere
change of men. What is needed is
change that will benefit policy-holders
and divorce their money from Wall
street spectators.
1t is a mistake to say that the laws