The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-04
MOODY HAS PLAN
FOR FIXING RATES
Attorney General Files Annual Re
port Proposing Remedy for
4, Relating Evil.

Washington, Dec. 4.-Attorney GEN
eral Moody's annual report to con
gress, submitted today, deals fully and
clearly with the railroad question and
suggests remedies along lines that
President Roosevelt favors.
Mr.. Moody would add imprisonment
as an alternative punishment for vio-
lation of the Elkins law, which now
only imposes fines. The great difficulty
before the attorney generals depart
ment now lies in finding evidence. Or
dinarily this can be obtained only thru
the confession Of one or the other of
the guilty parties. ''Officials Of rail
roads have in general terms assured me
of their willingness to aid the depart
ment in every way in enforcing the
provisions of the law against rebates,
determinations and departures from
published rates. says the attorney
general with a touch of sarcasm, ''but
have declined to render the only assist
ance that would be Of the slightest val
ne, namely, the furnishing of evidence
proving the offense:
The department. is willing to accept
the evidence of either party to a viola
tion of the law in efforts to punish. the
other party, and offers freedom from
prosecution as an inducement for such
( evidence, but, the report says, offenders
shrink from betraying their confeder-
ates.
Rate Remedy Suggested.
Mr.. Moody sets forth his rate remedy
for present conditions in the following:
eff the power, upon complaint, to fix
a future maximum rate and put it into
effect within reasonable time, subject
TO appeal to the courts, should be given
to some administrative body created by
congress, weapon against discrimina,
L.
any now available, would be put into
the hands Of the government, Upon
proof that a lower rate had been given
( to some preferred shipper the body
clothed with the power to fxsa future
maximum rate might well determine
that the rate which the railroad could
afford to give to the preferred shipper it
could afford to give to all shippers in like
situation: Such a finding, it could be
upon appeal would not reverse, for nc
better evidence of the legality and jus
tice Of the rate thus fixed could be
found than in the action Of the carrier
itself. 1t would be difficult for the
carrier to maintain that a rate actually
charged by it was confiscatory or I'M
Bankruptcy Laws.
A brief but interesting part of the
attorney generals report relates to the
operation of the bankruptcy law as
follows: -
"The present bankruptcy law has
now been in operation for seven years
and while the earlier reports Of its
practical operation show that from 49,,
300 to Fl 900 voluntary cases were fled
annually for several years after it's en-
actment, the last few years show a
gradual decrease in the number of peti
lions. During the pats year 1852 pe
titions were filed, which is about the
same as were fled in the year proceed
ing. The mum Der of involuntary petit
lions has. gradually increased as the
legal profession becomes familiar will
its provisions and advantages: Of this
class of cases 1904 proceedings were
Instituted during the, past year, The
law seems to be; meeting with genera
approval on the part of the commercial
interests of the country. = ~.