The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-19
POKE FUN AT RATE CONTROL,
TREIGHT WEN SAY THEI'LL
NAVE No HORE UORRI.
Their Annual Afternoon Dinner Devoted
Largely to the Governments New
M0,e-PleR for Pittsburg and some
uIg Figures OF It's Yearly Tonnage.

Largely to the Gov ernmcnts New
Mo,e-PIea for Plttsburs and Some
Iug Figures OF It's Yearly Tonnage.
The fourth annunl dinner Of tho Com
nlunty of Freight Traffic Interests was
held at the Arkwright Club, yqo Broadway,
Yesterday afternoon. and was attended by
railroad and steamship freight agents
and managers of the traffic departments
Il large manufacturing corporations
Henry L. Joyce. general manager OF the
Manhattan LighteTage Company, WAS toast
master In his Introductory remarks he
said:
Hereafter We will not be burdened with
Wondering over freight rites and cum
ningly fixed reb ates-tiIs everlasting
scramble will be thing of the past Inc
Governmental freight rates, IA 'mchanRe-
able az the laws of the Medes and Persl2ns'
will preserve W forever from all futuis
cause for worry and trouble.
-Iet none of us run foul Of this new
schedule If we do the strong arm OF the
Government may grasp and prevent our
Hfth annual dinner from being the great
success We anticipate
4 telegram from President Roosevelt
was then read thanking rne committee for
it, courteous invitation and expressing
m- regret at his inability to accept
later telegram from Secretary Loeb
.uid that the President had intended TO
write special letter setting forth his views
regarding Government control of rates,
TO lie read at the dinner, but that he had
lacn unable to find time 10 write 1t.
Both of these kilograms were received
with chuckles, and suppressed laughter.
One man called out He'll fix it o, X,
Letters Of regret we're read from John
Il Thayer Of Philadelphia. Secretary OF
the Navy Paul Morton and Samuel Spencer.
Secretary Mortons name was greeted with
great applause.
Col. H. p. Bope, first yice-president OF
the Carnegie Company Of Pittsburg. spoke
on Community of Interests and itsBenehts
He bewaled the narrow horizon OF many
New Workers who couldn't see Pittsourg
at all. He assured them. however, that 1t
was still on the map and doing big bus-
ness It's freight tonnage in 1904 was
So 600 600 tons double that Of London,
four times that Of Paris, and greater than
that Of New York, Chicago, Philadelphia
AMI several other cities together.
His idea OF the community OF interests
was that railroads and manufacturers
should work together to make the opera
ton OF the law OF supply anu b'AhhiiN' '''n
srtiuous He thought manufacturers
we're ahead of the railroads in tins respect
al present
Willis Fletcher johnson OF the Neir YORK
Tribune who accompanied Secretary oil
War Taft on his recent trip to Panama.
spoke on The Panama Canal and lts OPP
rirtunities" He thought the building Of
Se canal would give this country great
opportunities If developing commercial
Violations with Peru and Chile.
l. q
Panama that had been shipped there
during the De Lesseps regime, but they
were no more absurd than many Ameri-
can shipments.
He also told Of the celebration in Panama
on the night Secretary Taft adjusted all
the differences with this Government.
L hope the PanHmnns viii never ma
out how smoothly and completely they
we're buncocd, he said. 1t "aa DECIDED
10 open every bar il the town free 70 all
corners for two hours, from to 8 p. NJ:
] watched the fun from the barroom Of
the Grand Central Hotel. In Il large room
with bar across one end fourteen bar
tenders were hard at work passing out
nothing less than bottle TO each man 81
anything he asked for. from st Louis beer
20 French champagne: Three hundred
free and independent citizens OF Panama
were tumbllng over each other 10 get the
free thirst auppresser.
I wa struck by two things First, IN
all that night Of revelry no blow was struck.
there was no call for police interference.
1fsuch an event had happened here, whether
on the Bowery on at the 81 Regis, the polce
reserves would have been called In five
minutes Second the only intoxicated
nau saw was a United States naval officer.
Charles f Moore poked fun at the Gov
eminent control Of railroads. He said that
the Government had got the idea Of gov
eminent ownership Of railroads beaten
by evolving the idea Of government con-
troll Ownership means responsibility, OF
course. but control has nothing OF that
Why should the Government care to operate
the railroads? That takes money. Leave
that 20 the stockholders It's no fun de-
Tending damage suits for lost, strayed or
stolen freight or for valuable husbands
killed
I know what the Governments plan
is he continued "and | viii take you into
my confidence The President of the United
States Is TO be President ex officio OF all
the railroads, and the Secretary of Com
merce i to he the general manager OF all
the railroads. You call up the President
by long distance phone (Ieverse charges)
and ne will give yOu your rate. 1hut Leafs
the present method Of writing To the third
assistant freight agent for rate and get
ting q reply from the Office boy after the
shipment has been made, and then night
Ing for your rebate. tLaughterl
-rhe board Of directors VIII not be
abolished They are needed TO sell bonds
TO meet the annual deficit.
But seriously speaking is there any good
ienson why the Government should not
exercise some limited and reasonable con-
irol? When you want land for a railroad
YOU like to have the Government step in
md say what you shall pay a man who
wants an exorbitant price. The shipper
should have the same opportunity, II he
thinks you are charging too much. The
railroad can't exist without the shipper.
Zach man should help another and in doing
- help himself