The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-10-12
STICKNEY ON RATES
PRESIDENT OF GREAT WESTERN
cRlTiclsEs ROOSEVELT
Declares That National Government
Must Use Police Power 10 Examine
Books Of Railway Companies and to
Enforce the Law

president lhuohtNAll ifah3 h"r'"
know what he ia driving at In ms
rate legislation matter, which he Ii
advocating 80 strenuously. He doesn't
understand tho question AT all. Hes
laundering around IN the dark How
do know it2 Why, because he hash
suggested any practical remedy tof
the rate evils. He's just playing 10
the gallery"
President A. Is. Stickney Of the chi
cago Great Western railway STOOD IN
the rotunda OF the new government
building at Chicago and uttered the
foregoing words and many other apho'
rlsms pertinent TO the rate question,
illustrating his points by stories as ne
went along,
"cowards" on Commission
Having paid his respects 10 the
president OF the United States, Mr,
Stielney turned his attention 10 the
interstate commerce commission.
THE members Of the commission
are set OF towards" he exclaimed.
"llow do you arrive at that conclu'
sion?" he was asked.
why. I'll illustrate II to you. The
law requires that the tariffs should
be so constructed that any person OF
ordinary intelligence can read them
and tell what the legal rate on any
commodity is. Are they constructed
that way? ! should say not, and the
commission does not compel IT,
Immediately after the law was
passed the railroads and the commits,
sion got together here in Chicago. II
was complained that the railroad
tariffs could not be deciphered by an
expert, let alone an ordinary indi
yldual,
Fails to Enforce the Law
II remember that the traffic man
ager of the Northwestern road came
into the meeting with about three
bushels of tariffs.
"'IIaye you got your tariffs with
your asked the chairman of the com
mission, cycling the pile.
Yes, sir replied the Northwest
ern man.
"'Are they constructed so that any
one can tell what the legal rate Is or
any commodity asked the chair
man,
mo Sir replied the railroad man
Can YOU tell from the tariffs what tho
rate is2 asked the chairman.
"'No sir; when ! want TO know tht
legal rate ask the clerk who is SUP
posed to have charge Of hese tariffs
Whatever he says goes. have Il
take his word for Il, as ! cannot fignr
out the tariffs myself.
"And that Is all that the interstat
commerce commission ever has don
TO enforce that part OF the law"
perhaps II is good thing for tn
railroads to have indecipherabl
tariffs. was suggested,
Well, perhaps II is," admitted NJ
Stiekncy
Discriminating Rates Not Fair
He was asked IL he believed thl
II is for the best interest OF the coul
try and the railroads 20 continue III
practice which 50 long has been g
tablished, of debating the commerei
growth of locality, trying to cqualil
commercial conditions. despite the a
sencc of natural advantages. by ma
ing discriminatory rates. He Il
clared that Il WAS not fair, and illu
traled hy telling the story of the ear
DAYS Of flour milling In Minnesol
when min WAS built al Minneapol
10 compete with another miller az
miles out 1T the city,
Tho railroads made a lower rate
the Minneapolis miller after a while
he said. The result was that Il