Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-12-05
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE PUBLISHED
AS SENT BY HIM TO CONGRESS

the profit earned to the capital actually
Invested, ana IL creates a burden of
interest payments which is a fertile
cause of improper reduction in or linn
itation of wages; 1t damages the small
investor, discourages thrift and encour-
ages gambling and speculation: while
perhaps worst of all is the thickness and
dishonesty which 1t implies-for harm
TO morals is worse than any possible
harm to material interests, and the de-
bauchery of politics and business by
great dishonest corporations is far
worse than any actual material evil
they do the public. Until the national
government obtains in some manner,
which the wisdom of congress may sug-
gest proper control over the big cor-
porations engaged in Interstate com
merce-that is, over the great majority
of the pig corporations-lt will be inn
possible to deal adequately with these
evils.
Not Without Difficulties.
am well aware of the difficulties OF
the legislation that ] am suggesting,
and of the need of temperate and eau
tious action in securing it. | should en-
phatically protest against improperly
radical or hasty action. The first thing
10 do is to deal with the great corpora
ttons engaged in thu busInGss of inter
state transportation. As ! said in my
message of December 6 last, the imme-
diate ana most pressing need. 50 far as
legislation Is concerned is the enact
ment into law of some scheme uo Sc
cure to the agents of the government
such supervision and regulation of the
rates charged by the railroads of the
country engaged in Interstate traffic as
shall summartly and effectively prevent
tile imposition of unjust or unreasona-
bic rates. 1t must include putting a
complete stop to rebates in every shape
and form. This power to regulate rates,
like all similar powers over the BUSH
ness world. should be exercised with
moderation caution, and self-restraint (;
but 1t should exist, so that it can be eff
fectively exercised when the need
arises
The first consideration to be kept in
mind is that the power should be af-
firmative an. should be given to some
administrative BODY created by the con-
gress. If given to -Ae present inter
state commerce commission or to a re
organized Interstate commerce com
| mission. such commission should be
made unequivocally administrative.
do not believe in the government inter
ferine with private business more than
| is necessary. | do not believe in the
government undertaking any work which
| can with propriety be left in privats
hands But neither DO ! believe IN the
| government fiinching from overseeing
any work wnen it becomes evident that
| abuses are sure to obtain therein un-
\ less there is governmental supervision
| 1t is not my provinc to indicate the ex-
act terms of the law which should be
| enacted: but | call the attention of the
| congress to certain existing conditions
| with which II is desirable to deal. In
my Judgment the most important pro-
vision which such law should contain Is
| that comforting upon some competent
| administ rative body the power to decide
upon the case being brought before
| whether given rate prescribed by a
| railroad is reasonable and just. and II
| il Is found to be unreasonable and un-
i just then, after full investigation of the
! complaint to prescribe the limit of rate
beyond which it shall not he lawful to
go-the maximum reasonable rate, as II
| Is commonly called-this decision to &c
| into effect within a reasonable time and
| 10 obtain from thence onward subject
| to review by the courts. II sometimes
| happens at present, not that rate II
! too high but that a favored shipper Is
| given too low rate. In such case the
| commission would have the right tc
| fix this already established minimum
rate as the maximum; and IT would need
| only one or two such decisions by the
commission to cure railroad companies
of the practice of giving improper mini
mum rates | call your attention to tht
! fact that my proposal Is not TO give
! the commission power to initiate Oh
originate rates generally; but to regu,
late "A rate already fixed or originated
by the roads, upon complaint and after
| Investigation. A heavy penalty shomls
be enacted from any corporation which
fails to respect an order OF the com
| mission. ! regard this power to estab
lsh a maximum rate as being essen
tial to any scheme OF real reform II
first necessity is 10 secure 1t; and un
less IL is granted to the commission
there is little use In touching the $50
| ject at all
Some Railroad Methods.
Illegal transactions often occur uude
the forms of law. 1t has often occurret
that a shipper has been told by traf
fic officer TO buy "A large quantity q
some commodity and then after 1t ha
been bought an open reduction
made in the rate to take effect imme
diately, the arrangement resulting q
the profit of the one shipper and TIN
one railroad and to the damage of
their competitors; for IT. must not b
forgotten that the big sl"G pers are a
least az much To blame as any railroh'
I'm the matter Of rebates Tn Law
should make il clear So that nobod
can fail to understand thar any KIM
of commission paid ON freight shipment
fictitious damages or OF concession
"a free pass, reduced passenEe
rate, or payment Of brokerage, Is lie
gal It Is worth while considerin
whether il would not be wise TO confe
on the government the right of civ
action against the beneficiary OF 2 r.
/, bate for at least twice the value OF IN
rebate; this would help stop what }
| really blaCkmail Elevator allowance
, should be stopped, for they have nov
grown to such an extent mat they ar
I demoraliZing and are used as rebates
] The best possible regulation OF rate
would, Of course, be that regulation se
| cured hy an honest agreement anon
. the railroads themselves to carry ou
, the law Such general agreemen
| would. for instance, at once put "A sto
to the efforts of any one big shipper o
{ big railroad to discriminate against q
secure advantages over some rival an
, such agreement would make the rall
. l roads themselves agents for enforciu
p the law The power vested in the GOV
ernment to put a stop to agreements
d the detriment Of the public should ]
my Judgment. he accompanied hY po"f
: 10 permit. under specified conditions an
careful supervision, agreements clear
I'M the interest Of the public. But in y,
! Judgment. the necessity for giving mi
. further p0wer rs bv no means as grea
D. as the necessity Tor giving the comml'
. sion or administrative body the otht
% nowers 7 have enumerated above an
? / IL may well be- insdyisYble ~ ATTEMPT
d vest tnis particular DpW'r lu the CON
1 mission or other administrative ~
. until n already POSSESSES and ~ eNerol'
, inc what r.gard 0s hv f1r the mos
s I important OF ON tho pow.rs recon-
merd-as indeed the Nit70v iUpnrta'
- nowcr-th0r t0 Ak gi,"n mHN.".N
rata which rate. after the lnn-e gi
- posnnanlc time. goes 'N'n '.' 'N''
! ! subject no review bv th" courts
Only Devices for Pehste.
: All private car lines. industrial road
: | refrigerator charges and tho like shou
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