Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-05-02
They Don't Propose to Have Sen
ate Hearing Closed Without
Presenting Arguments
ELkINs WOULD CLOSE DEBATE
Chairman of tho Committee Evidently
Satisfied to Let tho Railroads Do All
the Talking For tho Benefit Of tic
Committee = Shippers Ask to 30
Heard.

Washington. May 2. - The shippers
of the country do not propose to per-
nit the senate committee OH inter-
state commerce to formulate any
measure for presentation to the senate
which shall stultify the wish OF the
people for an equitable adjustment of
the railroad rate question.
Senator Elkins, chairman 81 the
hearings to a close with the terrnin-
alton of the testimony Of the railroad
officials and attorneys, believing the
country to be so saturated with their
views 1t might forget the injustice suf-
fered by shippers. He has been talking
informally with members of the COM
smittee during the last few dhys as to
the advisability of calling the execu-
tive meeting of the committee, when
will be discussed the question of stop
ping the hearings and determining for
mallv upon the provisions OF the meas
ure to be presented to the senate.
Now the shippers have stepped 1t.
and Senator Elkins is fearful that his
well laid plans are in danger. Il. r.
Bacon, of Milwaukee, president of the
shippers national organization, has
written the chairman Of the commit
tee asking an opportunity to present
further testimony on the question Of
rate discrimination and rebates. He
stated he expected TO bring number
of prominent shippers from various
parts of the country to furnish evil
dence in addition to that given at the
hearings last spring.
Without regard, apparently. for the
universal demand that there shall be
effective legislation, some OF the COM
mittee men are impatient over the in
timation that the demands Of the ship
pers may prolong the hearings. and
they are raising all kinds Of objections,
the strongest Of which are that the
shippers have made out q formidable
case, and that If more people testify 1t
will not be possible to study the evil
dence properly because Of the guam
tity.
1t is expected that in order to pre-
vent criticism, Bacon may be given a
CIlSlIlSS W dPpedi, WI ehis Will w 0t.'AS
in case he can show he has additional
evidence sof Importance to present
George r. Peck, general consul of
the Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul
railroad, WIS again before the senate
committee yesterday He declared
that the most effective instrument
against rebates was the injunction,
that the latter was better than a crimi-
nal proceeding, because 1t was speedy
and summary.
Private car lines, he said, were not
common carriers, but were necessary
to carry on the commerce in perishable
articles.
Mr.. Peck made several references
to the Esch- Townsend act in an
swering questions of Senator Cullom,
and the latter remarked that he did
not think the committee was dis
posed to hold to the Esch- Townsend
bill. and that the measure at most may
be used as a basis for discussion.
Hugh L. Bond, second vice presi-
dent and general attorney of the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad, criticised the
Esch- Townsend bill, saying it would
result in endless litigation and require
at least two or three supreme court de-
cisions to determine what it meant.
He declared 1t would be unwise to de-
part from a law which was eighteen
years old and had been construed over
and over again, and which business
and railroad men understood.