New-York tribune., 1905-11-29
RAILWAY RATE PROBLEM
BIG TASK OF CONGRESS-.
Remedies Mast Be Found for Three
Great E0iLs-Success Predicted.
rrrom The Tribune Bureau ]


washington. Nov. 2s.-Nearly all OF the prom
iuent members Of Congress are already in Wash
ington. and most OF them have come prepared
with a large amount Of information and data,
some Of 1t gathered in foreign lands, for the
great problem Of the 5sth Congress-some be-
ueve the greatest problem OF the present age
ths enactment Of efficient railway rate legis-
Iation-
There ere comparatively few OF the really in
mental men IN either House who are prepared to
advocate a specific remedy for the evils they know
70 exist In the Senate Senator Foraker has out
lined to the Committee on Interstate Commerce
and 70 the public the measure which he be-
neves would remedy all existing evils. and Sena-
tor Knox has prepared a measure. which he has
refrained from publishing on lines materially
5fnsrent. but by which he believes the same
sn6 could best be accomplished In the House
fhsre Is no indication that Representatives
townsend and Esch have seen any reason to
abandon the plans they outlined in the meas
ure which bore their names and which was
nsssed by the lower chamber last session, but
nrobabIy 8 majority are still in a receptive
mood. prepared for a greet amount of careful
vvork but unwilling to express any opinion at
this time
II Is generally believed that this year, as
lsst. the House viii pass a measure drafted along
lines Of the Townsend measure and that
1he important debate and the great struggle viii
emma in the Senate. While Senators will not
hermit their views 70 be quoted they are free
10 discuss the situation with those in whom they
repose confidence and the following are some of
the conclusions at which many of the more in
huenttal appear TO have arrived
EVILS TO BE REMEDIED.
They declare the problem is TO provide reme-
dies for three separate and distinct evils:
FYrst-The granting of rebates and other forms
of individual preference
second-What are commonly referred to as 10
caIitv Observation-Disclosures is, rates open to the
pubBc alike but favoring certain localities
against others.
Tb,rd-Rates which are too high and which,
because they are too high, work an Injustice to
all shippers alike, and accrue solely to the ad-
vantage of the railways.
These then. are declared to be the evils re-
srsonShfIjty for the correction Of which devolves
uron the 59th Congress. Discussing them
ssris+tro. those who have most carefully studied
The subiect assert that some measure, more
efficient and comprehensive than the Elkins
aus3--ebate law but designed for the same puT-
noss- must be devised and enacted This should
render impossible as the Elkins law was sup
nos.d 70 render criminal all forms of discrnina-
ton which come under Class L Of the above
suuuneration All discrimination between ship
pers must be abolished. This would include
not only rebates from published schedules but
discrimination in She supply of cars TO SUCH
shippers; discrimination in the allowance for the
use Of private cars, discrimination effected by
means OF terminal charges and by every other
device which has or may be conceived by COM
peting railways which seek business even to the
extent of violating the law
EFFECTIVE TO PREVENT REBATES.
Notably. this section of the proposed law must
even prove effective to prevent rebates from
rates fixed by the government should Congress
determine to confer the power to fix rates on
the Interstate Commerce Commission or other
executive body. for It is obvious that the mere
fact that federal commission had fixed rate
would not of itself prove effective to prevent
Illegal rebates and Determinations any more
than federal legislation against rebates from
published schedules fixed by the railways has
served 10 correct that evil In the opinion OF
many of the ablest students Of the subject. no
remedy for the granting of rebates and discrini-
nations of kindred nature can be devised short
of compelling the railway companies TO hold
their books open 10 inspection by the Interstate
Commerce Commission on demand. This propo-
sition promises to afford one of the most widely
discussed topics Of the coming debate.
Correction of the locality determinations will
prove one of the most difficult problems which
confront the lawmakers. Obviously. the delega-
ton 10 the Interstate Commerce Commission or
other executive body of the power to fix rates
would not solve this problem, for the reason that
even If armed with such power, the commission
would either have TO confirm the existing dis
oriminations between ports and localities, or
else would be compelled TO abolish all such dis
ordinations which could be accomplished only
by resorting TO the logical Observation-Disclosures
on a fixed rate per mile Of transportation for
each class of freight what is popularity known
as mileage or distance rate. That this will
prove the eventual solution Of this problem is the
belief Of many who have studied the subject.
NO LOCALITY DETERMINATIONS.
Thew assert that no federal commission can
properlv sanction determinations between locali
ties but all sections must be treated by the /
government on an equal footing, and that this |
can be accomplished only by decreeng given /
rate a mile for each class of shipments. Those |
opposed to this policy, although they admit the
force Of the argument in its favor, declare that /
It has proved a wofuI failure abroad, and es-
pecisllv in Australia, where it has operated to |
conhne all commerce and all manufacturing in |
dustries to the sea board where the shortest dis
lance bauIs are possible with the result that the
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