New-York tribune., 1905-11-29

interior Of the continent is still stagnant and
undeveloped. They also claim that in certain
European countries the effort to enforce a dis
tance rate has invariably met with such disas-
trous results that it has become necessary to
revert to locality determinations as a choice OF
evils.
The final problem, overchar arging by railways,
appears to be susceptible of an easy remedy,
namely the delegation of the power to fix rates
20 an executive commission, recommended
py the President Such delegation Of the power
TO flx rates would obviously prove a remedy for
neither of the first named evils, but that It
NColo correct oNeroharges by the railways Is
eNIoehC Iho5e who oppose the delegation or the
rate making power, however assert that neither
the PRESIDENT nor Secretary Taft, nor others Of
tho aQ1nllistratlonS S advisers, have claimed that
oVercharging by the railways is prevalent They
declare that Secretary Taft has himself affirmed
his belief that such overcharges are uncommon
are even rare and that the President, when ap
pealed TO by representatives Of railway en-
ployes unions, assured them that they had no
ground for fear that the proposed legislation
would curtail the profits of the railways and so
operate to reduce their wages, because there
were extremely few instances in which the rail-
ways were now charging excessive rates, and,
therefore. few in which the Interstate Com
merce Commission would find it necessary to
exercise its power to reduce rates.
DELEGATION OF POWER NOT NEEDED.
1t is held therefore that if there are extremely
few instances in which the railways over
charging for transportation and that this would
De the only one of the three evils above out
lined which the delegation Of the power to fix
rates would or could remedy affect, it is
difficult to perceive why there should ensue any
great demand for the delegation of such power,
especially why there should now occur an agtta-
ton on the subject which, in the estimation of
some we'll informed statesmen, threatens to split
asunder the Republican party.
Discussing the comparative benefits and evils
Of the proposed delegation Of the power to fix
rates to executive body, many of the latter
are predicted the inevitable outcome For
instance 1t is asserted that with such power
vested in the Interstate Commerce or some SINH
lar commission, the temptation 10 railways 10
enter more than ever into political campaigns
with the hope of debating the membership of
that commission would be enormously increased;
that it is altogether likely that ultimately the
personnel of this commission would constitute
one of the greatest issues in national campaigns,
and that the party which adhered to the strict
lines Of integrity and patriotism in the nomina-
ton Of members of the commission would be
constantly menaced by party which was will
ing to mortgage itself to the railways in this
respect in order to acquire political supremacy.
1t is further urged that in such commission
would rest power Of geographical discrim1na-
tion-in the absence of Congressional d1ctat1on
of mileage or distance rate-which would rem
der its personnel so important to the different
parts of the country that the utmost jealousy
would ensue. 1t is claimed in this connection
that such a Commission could make or break at
will the various zones into which, for computa-
ton purposes it would be obliged to divide the
country.
A FOREIGN ILLUSTRATION
As presenting a concrete instance of the evils
which might arise from such delegation of the
rate making power. the case of Prussia and the
Balkan States is cited. There. it is alleged. the
Agrarian party has proved so potent as to in
6uce the government. which fixes railway rates.
to place practically prohibitory rates agri-
cultural products from the Balkan States, aver
aging three hundred miles away, with the re-
suit that such products are shipped by rail
TO the Adriatic and by water through the Straits
of Gibraltar, up the coasts OF Spain and France,
through the English Channel and the Kiel Canal.
q oTriTi n added
transportation than would have been the case
had they been shipped the three hundred miles
by rail over German railways.
Confidence is expressed by the Republican
leaders that Congress will in course Of the COM
ing session find adequate remedy for all
of the evils above outlined. but that the solu-
ton of the problems viii accord with any one Of
the remedies thus far outlined they regard as
an unwarranted prediction. That the President
has accomplished his purpose in awakening
Congress TO the immediate necessity Of correct
ing these evils is frankly admitted on all sides
and that his efforts will ultimately be crowned
with success By the enactment Of legislation
which will remedy these evils is predicted.