Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1905-07-22
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER

TIE railroads of the country apparently
believe that they have defeated the
President in his campaign for railway rate
legislation. At least they have recently y
sent out confidential statements from the
press bureau which they maintain, to OPP
pose railway rate legislation, saying that
the President has been convinced of the
error of his ways and that the effnrt to Sc
cure legislation for the protection of ship
pers and consumers will not be seriously
pressed at the next session of Corgre 6.
~
Nothing could be farther from the truth
The President is just as much in earnest
as he ever was. He will present in his
next message to Congress the strongest
possible argument in favor OF delegating
to the Interstate Commerce Commission
the power to fix rates wherever the exit
ing schedules are found, on examination,
to be unjust, the rates fixed by the Com
mission to take effect Immediately and to
60 into effect within from thirty to sixty
days and to remain in force until and un-
less set aside by the courts. The great ef-
fort OF the railways will be to prevent any
rate set by the Interstate Commerce Conn
mission from going into effect until APP
proved by the courts. This would mean,
of course, that the wealthy railroads
wuuld keep every contest i'll the courts
for years, taking appeal after appeal, I'M
til the unfortunate shipper who had made
the complaint was exhausted, financially
ruined, or dead.
***
With the law advocated by the Presi-
dent once on the statues it is probable
that there would be comparatively few
instances in which the Interstate c M
merce Commission would feel il IL, ccssary
to fix rates for the reason that the rail-
roads themselves, knowing that such a
reasonable and just rates. There might
be umerous complaints to the Commits
sion but there would probably be few in
stances where the Commissions would
find it necessary to exercise its rate max
ing power. The railroads appreciate all
this full well, and dread the day when
they may be compelled to make just rates
in order to avoid the changing OF their
schedules by the Commission.
~
The President has not, under our Con-
any legislative authority and all
he can do is to exert his influence as
Chief Executive, and as dispenser Of
federal patronage. He must, therefore,
receive the hearty support of the people
if he is to succeed in persuading Congress
to enact any really material reform legis-
iation. The railroads have many repre-
in both houses OF Congress who
will fight for their master to the bitter
end, and the people must give to the
President their most enthusiastic support
if he is to win. The railroads have been
very clever in their campaign and have
already persuaded many members of Con-
gfess, possibly majority, that public
sentiment is not with the President in |
his campaign for a square deal for the
shippers and consumers. They have
brought before the Interstate Commerce
Committee OF the Senate numerous ship |
p r., beholden to the railroads for favors |
Of one sort or another, who have testified |
that the shippers do not want railway |
rate legislation, and as a result those menu
bers Of both House and Senate who never
have very strong convictions are disposed |
to vote against the legislation urged by |
The Pre-ident
*x*
Ii the people of the country really APP
preciate the value Of the campaign the
President is prepared to conduct in their
behalf, they will get to work Immediately.
Legislatures must be petitioned to in
trnct their Senators to vote for the legs-
alton endorsed by the President, resolu-
ions must be adopted, shippers must or
.anize and genuine hard work must be
lone by every man interested in the
lefeat of the railway lobby.
~
Under the strong impetus given it by
he President, the investigation of the
Department of Agricuture's bureau OF
tatistics is moving right along The
President has taken the whole matter out
+ the hands of Secretary Wilson and
as confided it to the Department of
ustice, and Solicitor General 'Hoyt and
district Attorney Beach are pushing the
Investigation as rapidly as circumstances
till permit. 1t is generally believed that
ohm Hyde, Chief Statictician of the
'ureau, will be asked to resign when the
lvestigation is concluded. 1t is not
hown that Mr.. Hyde was guilty Of any {
hing in the least savoring of dishonesty 6
MT it is claimed that he has manifested {
erious Incompetence and grave lack of q
ability and that the in g
will show that he is not up to