The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-12
RAILROADS LEFT OUT HAGENBARTH'S PLAN TORN TO PIECES BY DELEGATES. Committee Having the Matter in Charge Still at Work on It,
 and Will Not Finish
 Until Friday. 70

DehVer, Colo, Jan. 1.-The oreani- zation plan of President ]. N Hapen- oarth, by which the National Live Stock association was to be remodeled and us control vested in a Board of Com promise of representatives of the trades s. anu interests allied to the raising of i've stock, has been torn to pieces aa Tar as the railroads are concerned. Foor two days an Executive Commit tee' composed of three representatives or each industry. has been working on the proposed reorganization, and if will require at least one more day to finish Its work. No report will be made to the convention before Friday morning. Before 1t was definitely concluded to prevent the railroads from acquiring membership in the association. A bitter fight was waged in the committee room The Texas and Colorado cattle men became so wrought up over the possibility of the railroads having a voice in the management of the Live Stock Association that they announced their intention to withdraw from the association If the measure was carried Other Western organizations gave evil dence of desire to take similar ac- ton and the adoption of the plan to admit the railroads would probablv have resulted in. the disruption of tAe National Live Stock Association There was lively debate over the packers. but 1t was finally decided to permit them to herd with the elect and thev Will be admitted into the association All the branches of the live stock in dustry will also be allowed to have rep- resentatives in the organization. Only the railroads remain outside
 The roads are at disadyantage as far as hearing Is concerned. They have no representation in the convention. and are unable to make reply when speeches attacking them are made Their cause has been upheld before the various committees by men who believe that they should be admitted. but they are not trained traffic of- ficials.
 The general committee today com piled new set of bylaws for the or ganizatlon which are to be presented tonight, considered anew by the com mittee tomorrow morning. referred to the various organizations tomorrow considered again by the committees, and finally presented to the convention for action on Friday morning.
 Governmental regulation of inter- state transportation was the subject of an exhaustive address by s. H. Cowan of Fort Worth. Tex, at today,s session.
 He prefaced his address proper by saying that the stockmen were contin- ually reminded that they should live in harmony with those with whom they did business and particularly with the railroads. The roads in Texas, he es- serted, had increased their rates on cat tie within the last two years by from 20 to 30 per cent During that period, he said, the prices for cattle had gone up but 10 per cent. There was small chance for harmony. he thought, under the circumstances, unless a few conces- Sions were made by those on the other side of the question.
 The existing interstate commerce law had been of great value, he declared and he was opposed to the enactment of new statute which might possibly de- stroy the benefits derived from the present law without compensating ben eflts. The speaker insisted that the present law was adequate when some of its imperfections had been eradi- cated, and he proceeded to point out some of its defects, among the chief of which he cited the wording of the Tong and short haul" clause. and he sug- gested alterations which would make lt more effective than al present.
 The claim made by the railroads that the law would tend to make freight rates unprohtable to them, he declared to be unfounded. The vital defect with the interstate commerce law. he de- clared. was that the commissioners lacked the power to enforce their de- crees. He favored speedy action by Congress, empowering the commission CTS to make their orders binding upon the railroads and upon the shippers.
 At the conclusion of Mir. Cowan's ad- dress the convention adjourned until morning.