Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-14

'$Ile ike OF WHICH nus I.OC Deel 6ee0 kOC
many moons.
A Vital Matter.
The issue, in word, is as to whether
or not the power to fix rates shall BIG
! given to the interstate commerce com
mission or some similar administrative
body. There are minor details, OF
course, but it is conceded on all sides
that they, could be compromised. The
placing Of the rate making power In
the government is the, bone of contenI
ton. It is vital matter; how vital
the present generation perhaps does
not realize 1t is fundamental, being
/, the difference between private CONTROL
and public control However yelled or
befogged, this remains the chief con-
tention. Stripped of ell side issues, the
question is simple, Has the nation the
right to regulate transportation tolls?
However complicated or mysterious
the details of rate making may appear,
the Issue itself is plain and clear. It
transcends any mere question as to
whether freight schedules are too high
0fstoo low Or even as to whether there
Is discrimination or favoritism. Ali
these things are involved, but they do
not constitute the cr,lx Of the matter.
That turns upon the sovereign power
OF the United States over its common
carriers. Having got this one point
liked, IT is possible to wade into the
labyrinths Of the subject without los
ing ones bearings. Before the aver
age lay mind tackles matter so mys-
terious as the modern railway rate
some such precaution is necessary.
One other thing Is clear, that the rail-
road question Is interviewer with that
Of the industrial trusts. The Standard
OIL; agitation and tho beef trust trials
showed that. These two concerns were
built up largely on the rebate. The
same is true of practically every other
trust that ships or receives produce,
30 that in staking up the freight rate
matter the president seems to have got
at the tap root Of the whole trust plant,
This makes the issue before congress
fundamental in more senses than one.
More Publicity Advocated.
Another point is fairly pain conced-
ing the abstract proposition that the
government has the right to fix rates,
then what is the real evil at which this
proposed legislation Is aimed? Is 1t not
this very giving Of rebates, discrimina-
ton, unequal treatment? There seems
no very general complaint that freight
rates are too high. But there is general
complaint Of favoritism. Attorney Cen
eral Moody after long and laborious in
vestigation reports as his deliberate
Judgment that secret rebates are still
given; that, while the bald return Of
part Of the charges is not INDUCED In
so much as formerly, the same end Is
reached by other means-through the
private car system, for example; re-
ifrigerating charges, fictitious damages,
terminal tolls and the like. The presi-
dents desire is to clothe the commits
sion with power to- get at these things
and correct the abuses If determined to
exist. For example. if railroad is
granting some trust an especially low
rate, that the commission may declare
as low a general rate for all shippers.
More publicity is advocated. It is de-
sired that the commission may have
access to all books, that hearings may
be expedited and that power may be
given to remedy IN evil when found.
Unequal treatment, then, is the meat in
the second cocoanut The Rooseveltian
idea of a square deal is to give John
Doe or Richard Roe the same rates as
Armour. One firm shall not be favored
at the expense Of another. The poor
shipper shall not be required to pay
more than the rich shipper. As far as
possible one community shall have an
equal show with oil other communities.
Now we are getting the lay of the land.
All Railroad Men Not Ia the Fight.
Having determined something Of the
contour Of the battlefield, the next
thing Is to look into the condition Of
the armies. What Ia the lineup Of the
fcecess Who has the most men? Where
are the big glns9 What about the
strategic adzantasssi At first glance
the contexdins hosts look something
IKE this: On one side Theodore Roose-
welt, allowing his teeth; OIL the other
the railroads and favored clippers. But
examined more closely there are naodi-