The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-01-20
FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 1905.
TO REMEDY THE EVIL OF
FREIGHT REBATES.


ent day, and ole which has been i'll
vogue for years, i, hesystem Of freight
rebates allowed Ivy the railroads to
favored shippers. 1t is to this fact that
the succ, IS Of many large corporation,
like that # the Ste Trust and the
Standard Oil Company is mainly due,
and the failure of many small CON
Germs can be traced TO the cruel discrim-
iuation in rates.
There is now campaign, growing
greater every day, being waged against
this uhfair system, and it has as its
chief advocate the President of the
United States He flvors change in
the Interstate Commerce Law, allow
ing il to fix freight rates, upon COM
plant OF any shipper who feels that
he is being treated unfairly by rail-
road y disp,tc from Washington
giving the latest dojngs in tuis line is
herewith published;
The Republicans of the House have
practically agreed that there shall be
legislation at this session Tor ,evision
of the Interstate Comm roe Law SO as
to allow it 10 fix freight rates upon
Complaint. 1t i und, rstood that the
Hous leaders and Republicans of the
House Committee on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce have substantially
agreed upon the reporting at an early
date of freight rate bill with the bill
which Colonel Hepburn, of Iowa, the
chairman If the Hous Committee on
Commerce, is expected to introduce
Friday as a basis.
The Democrats are in favor of freight
rate legislation and have substantially
agreed to support bill enbodying
the ideas IF the bill introduced several
days ago by Representative Davey, of
part of the Republican program to in
troduce special rule under which a
bill, either the Hepburn bill or the
same in amended form, may be con-
sidered and passed by the House with
out delay.
The Senate Committee on Commerce
will meet today and it is expected TO
consider the question of reaching an
understanding for a compromise,
whereby the Senate may also be in a
position TO act upon this question,
with something like the Hepburn bill
as basis, it being the desire now OF
some of the Senate leaders not to be
left in the position of defeating a till
that may be passed by the House en-
bodyipg the recommendation of the
President.
A most vigorous di-cussion of the
railroad rates question occup ed most
of the time of the National Board of
Trade today. The clash of antagonistic
views continued for several hours over
the reports of the committee appointed
to deal with this subject, the supporters
of President r os9velt's recommenda-
tons and those in opp sition becoming
excited in angry contention. Two
reports, representing the divergent
views. were pr, scented. Neither could
be agreed upon, aud finally the mem
bers of he committee got together and
reported the following compromise
resolui ion which was adopted;
"Tne n ,tionaI b ard of Trade, b.
lieving that the in erests Of the people
demand not only that IA es of trans
pOrtation should be reasonable and
that here should be no unjust dis
in preferences, but ais,
that there should be more eff
fective governmental su vision
Of all transportation and other agen-
cies. expresses the earnest hope thai
Congress will in its wisdom and as
speedily as possible enact such legisla-
tion as will, with justice to all interests
secure a more speedy and
more effectual correction of any abus,
10 transportation methods or operation
which may, after due inquiry, be found
10 exist, aud to that end that power be
given to the Interstate Commerce Com
mission to revise any rates found to be
or discriminating, the re-
7ised rates not to go into effect until the
lctiOn of the commission shall have
been, on review, confirmed by the Cir
,uit Court of the United States of COM
,etent Jurisdiction"
This resolution, which was unaui-
nously adopted, is practically victory
or the opponents to the President, in
bat, while it deprecates unreasonable
ates and Determinations of rates, it !
uggests inquiry to determine whether
uch abuses exist and proposes that the |
ecision of the Interstate Commerce
shall not go Immediately |
ntO operation. which is contrary to the
made in the Presi-
ent's message.
The will 0f Mrs Mor0arot