The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-10-26

OF the big shipper and of the railroad man
who wants to do right as in the interest OF
the small shipper and the consumer. Elk
perience has shown that the present laws are
defective and need amendment. The effort
to prohibit all restraint of competition,
whether reasonable or unreasonable, is I'M
wise. What we need is to have some admin
istratiye body with ample power to forbid
combination that Is hurtfu to the public, and
to prevent favOritism to one individual at
the expense OF another In other words, we
want an administrative body with the power
to secure fair treatment as among all ship
pers who use the railrOads-and all shippers
have right to use them. We must not leave
the enforcement Of such law merely to the
department of Justice; it is out Of the ques-
ton for the law department of the government
to do what should be purely administrative
work. The department of justice is to stand
behind and cooperate with the administrative
body, but the administrative body itself must
be given the power to do the work and then
held to strict accountability for the exer-
else OF that power. The delays of the law
are proverbial and what we need in this
matter is reasonable quickness OF action. The
abuses Of which we have a genuine right to
complain take many shapes. Rebates are
not now often given openly. But Il = can be
given just as effectively in covert form; and
private cars, terminal tracks and the like
must be brought under the control of the
commission or administrative body, which is
to exercise supervision by the government.
But in my judgment the most important
thing to do is to give to this administrative
body power to make it's findings effective, and
this can be done only by giving it power,
when complaint is made of a given rate as
being unjust or unreasonable II 1t finds the
complaint proper, then itself to fix a maxi
mum rate which it regards as just and rea-
sonable, this rate to go into effect practically
cfox 0$F1
versed by the courts. l earnestly hope that
we shall see law giving this power passed
by congress. Moreover I hope that by law
power will be conferred upon representatives
of the government capable of performing the
duty of public accountants carefully to ex-
anime into the books of railroads, when
ordered by the interstate commerce commits
sion, which should itself have power to pre-
scribe what books, and what books only,
should be kept by railroads. If there is in
the minds OF the commission any suspicion
that certain railroad is in any shape or
way giving rebates or behaving improperly,
l wish the commission to have power as a
matter OF right, not as matter of favor,
to make full and exhaustive inv stigation
Of the receipts and expenditures of the rail-
road SO that any violation evasion of the
law may be detected. This is not revou-
tionary proposal on my part. for only wish
the same power given in reference to rail
roads that is now exercised as a matter of
course by the nation; bank examiners as
regards national banks NV object in giving
these additional powers to the administrative
body representing the government-the in
terstate commerce commission, or whatever
it may be-s primarily to secure real and
not sham control to the government repre-.
sentatives. The American people abhor a
sham. and with this adherence / cordially
sympathize. Nothing is more INJURIOUS from
stap1popt than q which 10
sound and fury, merely pretense, and not
CAPABLE of working ont tangible results.
hope to see all the power that I think IL ought
to have granted to the government but
would far rather see only some or II granted
but really granted. than see a pretense of
granting all, in some shape that really
amounts to nothing.