The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-10
Secretary Taft StartIes Railway
Men at Washington.
Tells Railway Congress That
Regulation Must Come.
FISH MAKES REPLY.
Taft Declares Against Govern
ment Ownership of Railways.
Gossip and Matters Of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

Washington, May I0.-Secretary
Taft fairly took the breath of the
500 railway men, members of the In
ternational Railway congress. dining
last night as the guests of the Ameri-
can Railway association at the new
Willard hotel, when. after being in
troduced as 1.-The apostle from the
Philippines" he emphatically declared
that railway rate legislation must
come; that if the railway men of the
country were wise they would aid and
not hinder it; that the sentiment of
the country is such that failure of
proper regulation meant a campaign
on the subject that would do no good
to the railways. Absolute silence
reigned as the secretary spoke on the
subject of rates. He was positively
against government ownership, he
said, believing that nothing so dele
terious could come to the country as
this solution of the question. "But, -
he continued, you cannot run rail-
ways as you run private business You
must respond to the public demand.
If there is danger of discrimination,
then you must allow the establish
ment of some tribunal that will rem
edy that discrimination" The secre-
tary saw no reason why a tribunal
properly constituted should not be
competent in every sense of the word
to fix a maximum rate.
President Stuyvesant Fish of the
American Railway association had in
troduced Secretary Taft, in his ca
pacity as POSTMASTER. Mr.. Fish was
on his feet the instant the secretary
concluded. He answered the secretary
at length, taking the view that the law
to prevent discrimination, double
dealing and secret rebates was simple,
and he vigorously called for the en-
forcement of that law. Mr.. Fish
talked of the vested rights of the
money tied up in railways He apollo
gized for allowing himself to be di-
verted, and as he sat down Secretary
Taft, who sat next him, queried in a
low tone, May I have fifteen minutes
to reply?, This time was given, and
the secretary utilized it in making
himself even more positive as to his
position in favor of legislation which
would create a tribunal with authority
to name maximum rate. 1.-THE law
now is" continued the secretary, ''as
decided by the supreme court of the
United States, that first a commission
and then the courts may declare
whether a particular rate is reason
able or unreasonable. Now in fixing
that, in the very mental process in
determining whether a rate is rea-
sonab1e on unreasonable, one has got
to fix what is a maximum rate. AS
understand it, what is proposed is
only that in litigated cases a COM
mission shall be constituted that shall
fix a maximum rate; in other words
to go through the same process it
now goes through to determine what
is reasonable rate What I am
strongly in favor of though is that
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 argu-
ment. contending it was the question
of fixing the price for the seller Of
goods.