Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-20
NEW RATE REGULATION BILL.

NEW RATE REGULATION BILL.
The authors Of the Till for regulating
railway rates which passed the house
Of representatives OF the Fifty-eighth
congress, but was not acted upon by the
senate, will have a new measure ready
for introduction when the Fifty-ninth
congress meets. Representatives Esch
Of Wisconsin and Townsend Of Michigan
were In consultation last week and
framed a revised bill. which IL is said
will be quite as strong and comprehen-
sive as the measure that was passed by
the house, but with features to which
there was objection in the senate elm
mated.
1t is understood that the bill will give
the Interstate Commerce commission alb
solute authority to fix rates, which is
what the shipping interest of the country
asks shall be done and what the rail-
roads have been combating with all
the force and influence they could bring
to bear. OF course this power will be
arrayed in the next congress, as it was
in the last, against the proposed legis-
iation and it has been fortifying itself
TO the fullest extent for the contest. For
months the railroads have been actively
engaged in the effort to create public
sentiment hostile to the proposition to
give the Interstate commission authority
to fix rates and it is not to De doubted
that they have been exerting their in
fiuence upon members of congress who
are not committed to legislation for the
regulation of rates. Doubtless every rail
road senator has been given to under
stand that he is expected to firmly aud
uncompromisingly resist every effort to
enlarge the powers of the commission
or TO in any way strengthen the regula-
tory provisions of the interstate
commerce law. 1t is probable that
bill will be introduced in the senate,
framed by Senator Elkins and other sen
ators who are friendly to the railroads,
and which necessarily would not comply
with the public demand. 1t has been an
nounced that Mr. Elkins, who is chair
man of the senate committee on inter
state commerce, will call a meeting of
that committee before the assembling Of
congress for the purpose of considering
the question of railway legislation and
perhaps also to frame a bill. AS Sena-
tor Elkins is largely interested in rail
roads it is easy to understand that any
measure which received his approval
would not be unfavorable to the inter
est with which he is identified.
President Roosevelt undoubtedly will
again urge as earnestly and forcefully
as he has heretofore done, that authority
be given the Interstate commission to
fix railway rates. 1t has been intimated
that the president had modified his
position in regard to this, but there is
no evidence of his having done so and
1t is safe to say that IL he had changed
his opinion as to the necessity of more
efficient regulation of railway rates the
fact would not be withheld from the
public. Mr.. Roosevelt has never hest
tated to make the people acquainted
with his views on questions affecting
their interests and on so important a
matter as the regulation of railway rates
had there been any modification or
change in the attitude of the president
the fact would have been made public.
1t is therefore a safe conclusion that
there has been no change and that the
influence of the administration will con-
tinue to be exerted in behalf Of such
| legislation as Mr.. Roosevelt recon-
mended in his last annual message.