The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-23
THE RATE REGULATION FIGHT.

THE RATE REGULATION FIGHT.
while the rate regulation proposition
has only been discussed informally
I thus far by the senate committee on in
| terstate commerce, it may be noted that
the members OF the committee have
made uD their minds on the subject
Four Of the Republican members are in
favor of government regulation Of rates,
and the other four are strenuously OPP
| posed to It. The Democrats are playing
for position and have not entered into
the discussions to any great extent, al
I though it is understood that most OF
them favor President Roosevelt's ideas.
Senators Culom of Illinois, Dolliver
Of Iowa, and Clapp of Minnesota, are
/ In favor of giving the Interstate Com
merce commission the power to fix rates
on complaint Millard of Nebraska is
/ in favor of rate regulation, but in work.
ing out the details he would place the
power with the Department Of Com
merce and Labor. The president has
not specified thus far as to details. only
recommending that the power be given
to some government body.
On the other side are ranged the cor
poration leaders. Elkins of west Vir-
Z
Of Ohio, and Kean of New Jersey. AID
rich is sometimes known as ''the boss Of
the United States because of the grip
he has on the business of the country
as ethe recognized representative of the
trusts in the United States senate. These
men are in favor of anything that viii
defeat the presidents programme and
render rate regulation ineffective.
fr1a of has
been going on to see which of these two
factions viii have the upper hand in the
senate. Prominent senators have been
declaring themselves. They are either
declaring for the general plan of Fegula-
ton outlined by the president, or they
express the Hope that some "compro-
mise measure may be enacted. The
compromise measure is what the Elkins-
Foraker Aldrich crowd is after. They
know it is impossible to head off a rate
regulation bill. and so they hope to pass
a regulation bill that will not regulate.
It is imperative that the Republicans
should pass some sort of rate measure,
otherwise the people will revolt and re
tire lot of Republican senators. The
corporation senators hope to hoodwink
the people by passing a compromise
measure" and they viii do It if they
can get sufficient backing.
Right here is where Senator Longs
influence would be of value if he would
declare himself for the general plan an
nounced by the president. AS long as
Mr.. Long does not so announce he will
be counted in favor of some compromise
and therefore against President Roose-
velts plan. And if there seems to be a
sufficient force against the presidents
plan it will influence other senators to
give in to the compromise in order to
avoid a split in the Republican ranks in
the senate.
The compromise which has been sug-
gested is that the Interstate Commerce
commission be given the power. not to
fix what it shall deem a just rate which
shall go into immediate effect, but to
bring an action in the federal courts to
keep the railroads from maintaining
what it deems is an unjust rate. This
would practically be no better than the
present law. The railroads would still
be able to delay and prolong litigation
as at present, maintaining their unjust
rates until the small shippers in whose
interest the suits would be brought
would be worn out. And after a decis-
ion would finally be reached and the
railroads enjoined from maintaining the
unjust rate. they could lower it just as
little as they saw fit. The result would
be that the people would have no real
relief