Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-18
REGULATION OF RATES
DIscUssIoN RESUMED By HOUSE
CoM1rERuE COMMITTEES.
Walker D. Hines States the Position Of
Railway Men in the
Matter.

Argument ON the subject of government
rate-making for the railroads was contin-
ued today before the House committee on
interstate and foreign commerce. c. f.
Staples Of the Minnesota board OF railroad
and warehouse commissioners finished his
remarks begun yesterday in favor OF ex.
tending authority to the interstate COM
merce commission or ''some intermediary
body to fix rates and regulate the carry
ing industry.
Mr.. Burke of South Dakota stated that
the morning papers gave an account Of op-
position to Senator Clapp of Minnesota in
the Minnesota legislature because he had
not expressed himself soon enough in favor
of the Quarles-Cooper bill, and asked: II
want to ask you If you are in favor Of that
bill?" Stating that he had only seen the
original bill. Mr.. Staples answered by say
ing In his opinion 1t would accomplish very
little of what the public is clamoring for
today in the way of strengthening the
hands of the interstate commerce commits
sion.
Not War on Railroads.
c. c. McCord, a member of the Kentucky
railroad commission, followed Mr.. Staples.
He also emphasized the necessity for legis-
lation for extended government control Of
rates. Such legislation was clearly within
the constitutional authority of Congress:
was necessary and feasible. Mr.. McCord
maintained that the proposed legislation
was not war upon the railroads. It was
IN the interest of railroads and to protect
them from a greater evil He deprecated
statements he had seen in the press that
this power was sought by certain persons
ina they might sell out to the railroads
This might as we'll be said Of the President
who, though he differed with him polit-
icaHy, ne said. was going to immortalize
himself and make the greatest President
this country has ever had
Beverly I. Crupp, q member of the Vir-
ginia state railroad commission, added his
testimony on the side Of government rate
making.
Mr.. Hearst Resumes.
representative Hearst, who gave testi-
mony Monday in favor of the bill he has
introduced, resumed today. He said he
would make comparison between his bill
and those recently introduced by Repre-
sentatives Townsend and Esch. These bills
were Similar to his, although there were
some points of difference.
MI Adamson asked If Mr.. Hearst had
any nope OF miilennial age, when all
litigation as to rates would be cut off.
Mr.. Hearst
1t was Mr.. Hearsts opinion that the
O"iiSe.u oia SliOWeQ greater latitude for
appeal than his bill. The Esch bill. he said.
provided that case could come before the
commission only on complaint, while the
Hearst bill gave the commission authority
to take action on its own motion.
View Of the Railway Men.
Walker D. Hines representing the At
lantic Coast Line and the Louisville and
Nashville roads, stated on behalf of rail-
roads generally that there was no effort to
deny the propriety or necessity of effective
regulation of the railroads. The public. he
said, certainly expected it.
The question to be considered most care
fully, he continued, was what would be the
actual effect of pending legislation author
izing the interstate commerce Commission
to fix rates when it should declare them to
be unreasonable. There was, he said, only
one way to construe this authority II it
gave authority to fix one rate, 1t gave au-