The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-10
THREATENS THEM WITH
CAMPAIGN ON SUBJECT
President Stuyvesant Fish Had intro
duced Secretary Taft and He
Mikes Reply from Rail-
road Standpoint.

Washington, May 9.-Secretary Taft
fairly took the breath Of the 800 railway
men members of the International Rail-
way congress in dining tonight as guests
of she american railway congress at the
New Willard. when, after being intro
duecL az ths apostle from the Philip
pines he emphatically declared that rail-
way 5te legislation fnu,. come that II
the re,4way men of the 'untry were wise
they would aid and not hinder it, that
the sentiment of the country is such
that failure of proper legislation made a
campaign on the subject that would do no
good to the railroads.
Absolute silence reigned when Mr.. TAFT
spoke his mind on the subject of rates. lie
was positively against government owner
ship he said. believing that nothing so
deleterious could come to the country as
this solution of the question.
But he continued. you cannot run
railroads as you run private business.
You must respond to the public demand.
If there is danger of discrimination then
you must allow the establishment OF
some tribunal that will remedy that dis
elimination. The secretary saw no rea-
son why tribunal properly constituted
should not be competent in every sense
of the word to fix maximum rate.
Fish Wanted 30 Reply.
President Stuyvesant r ish Of the Amer
lean Railway association had introduced
Secretary Taft. In his capacity as toast
master Mr. Fish was on his feet the in
slant the secretary finished. He answer
| ut
view that the law to prevent diserimins
tion, double dealing. and secret rebates
was ample and he vigorously called for
the enforcement of that law Mr.. Fisher
talked of the vested rights of the money
tied up In railway. He apologized for al
lowing himself to be diverted, and as he
sat down Secretary Taft, who sat next
to him, quered in a low tone
May l have fifteen minutes for re-
ply?"
This time was given and the secretary
utilized 1t In making himself even more
positive as to his position in favor OF
legislation which would create tribunal
with authority to name a maximum rate.
Law Is Too Slow.
"The law now IT," continued Secretary
Taft. "as decided by the supreme court
of the United States, that first COM
mission and then the courts may decide
whether a particular rate Is reasonable
or unreasonable. Nov, in fixing that,
in the very mutual process of determine
ing whether rate is reasonable or unrea-
sonabe. one has got to fix what is
maximum rate As 1 understand IL, what
Is proposed is only that in ltigated cases
commission shall be constituted that
shall fix maximum rate. In other words,
to go through the same process as it
now goes through to determine what Is
a reasonable rate. What | am strongly
In favor of, though, is tnat we shall have
a body that shall decide things. and that
those things shall be decided within a
reasonable time. finally by the courts"
Mr.. Fish again took up the argument.
contending 1t was the question of fixing
the price for the seller of goods.
Mr.. Jusserand. the French ambassador
Emil Heurteau of Paris. a member of the
permanent congress- Jean Kologrivon.
minister Of communication. Russia and
Wayne MacVeagh also delivered speeches.
Previous to the banquet the sections
Of the congress accomplished their allot-
ted days work. and the delegates In
spected the new union station under con-
structlon here.