New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-21
RAILROAD REGULATION.
MIR. KNAPP FAVORS MORE.
Too Mach Non, Says President
Elliott of Northern Pacific.

xrashfnrton. May 2o.-Martin A Knapp, CHAIR
man OF the Interstate Commerce Commission
was heard by the Senate Committee on i~1er-
state Commerce to-day. He rererreo " tns
soleful pictures railroad men had drawn Oh Ihe
conditions which would prevail should the pr0s-
Inactive legislation be enacted He ola not ra"oT
a radical departure from the present WISE hno
psnefcial law, but desired TO nave us ueAo0
,oorrscted and its weak points strengthened.
discrimination against community on account
of a smaller charge for a long haul than hor
-. haul couId be corrected under the present
- ana soune increase of restraint should Dc
.,-,,t6A6 He referred 20 the statement filed py
president Sticlney of the Chicago Great west
arm Railroad and remarked that MI Suckney
YVES ALWAYS surprising. whether filing STATE
ruent or making tariff.
Commissioner Knapp did not believe In the ar
erment that there was danger OF indexipiity IN
rates or of fixed mileage rates In case the pro-
nosed legislation was adopted. as seemed to be
feared by the railroad men, MISUNDERSTANDING
the fluctuations in the price Of cotton there mad
bean no change in transportation on cotton IN
ten wears Mr. Knapp cited this as an answer
70 the assertion often made that rates must con-
stantly change to meet changed conduohA
Something should be done, he thought toward
compelling carriers having short line connections
to unite IN making through rates.
Mr. Knapp did not regard the courts as the
best remedy for unreasonable rates. III you
want 10 regulate railroads" he said. 40 II your
selves and DO It by legislation. If you don't
want TO regulate them. leave it to the courts
II there was any way to correct an unreasona-
Bile rate except by giving tribunal power TO
substitute another rate for it. he would be slao
to have It pointed out
Howard Elliott, president OF the Northern
Pacific Railroad told the committee thai ms
agreed with the President when he SAID the
great highways of the country should Dc kept
open on equal terms to all, and that REBATES
should cease. He opposed giving any govern
rnent commission power to fix rates. termlng II
sociaIistic plan. which would adversely e1ece
many people interested IN the prosperity or rail-
roads. not only the investors. bat the employees
He asserted that the present laws are sufficient
70 regulate properly the railroads. There was
Derhaps too much regulation now. American
roads were compelled TO meet the competition
Of Canadian roads and water rates 20 the Pa
cihc Coast which caused complaints at interior
points Discrimination between localities would
always exist. because OF geographlcaI conui-
lions. He advocated cutting OIL Tree lFanspoIL "a
ton and half rate tickets to government ana
State officials and others.
MI Elliott asked about the situation at
spokane where higher rates are charged than
10 Puget Sound points, and he replied that II
was a difficult case and the railroads were try
10 the influence Of competition at coast points
and said that in April the Canadian PACING had
Increased its traffic from points east OF the MIS-
sisslppi River Seattle 100 per cent, while that
Of the Northern Pacific had increased but 10
per cent
VI Mr. Clenents Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, was heard again. He thought there
were some abuses at terminals and elevators
where short terminals were owned by shippers.
He believed that terminal and other abuses have
grown up since the passage Of the Elkins law
in attempts to evade that law The Elkins law,
however had done a great deal to stop other
- Ebuses Mr.. Clements would not say that CIV
ing the commission power to revise rates would
prevent rebates. His view was that all that
was contemplated was to give the commission
power to correct an exorbftant rate He had
never advocated minimum rate regulation
William A Hover, representing the Denver
wanted legislation giving the Commission power
to fix rates to correct what he called gross and
unfair discrimination against Denver in favor
OF Missouri and Pacific Coast cities. He sub
mitted tables Of rates to prove his contention
He said five men practically control uansporta-
ton west Of the Missouri River.
Russell B. Stevens Of Sacramento. a hortf-
culturist, criticised the Armour car lines. He
said he represented 50 per cent of the fruit
growers Of California, and asserted there was
combination between the shippers and the car
line company, which resulted IN injustice to the
growers.
H B. Browne attorney for the Atchison, To-
peka and Santa F6, denied statement which
had been put in evidence that an official Of that
road had acknowledged giving rebates.
II. 3 Fuller, representing railroad employees,
made an argument in favor of the employers
liability section of the Esch-Townsend bill.