Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-10
TRUSTS THE RAILWAYS
Views of T. Il. Shevlin Of
Minnesota.
SEEKING LOWER RATES
CONVINCED THAT THE COURSE OF
THE ROADS Is BEST.
Doesn't Think Much Of the Govern
ment's Ability to Do Business
Heard By Senate Committee.

Heard By Senate COMMITTEES.
The Senate committee on interstate COM
MERGE, which is investigating the subject OF
railway rates, began its work at the Cap
itol today with Mr.. T. HI. Shevlin. lum-
herman of Minnesota, on the stand
Mr.. Shevlin stated that his concerns ship
annually 225 eco feet of lumber, which
fill 1900 cars. He expressed his general
satisfaction with the railroads under their
present management. and deprecated all
suggestions that Congress should. through
a commission, fix rates. He preferred deal
Ing with the railroad men, who, he said.
knew their business.
The rate On his lumber from his mills was
20 cents hundred to Iowa, while from
Seattle to the same market. distance four
times as great, the rate was only 40 cents.
He would prefer having the rates on lum-
Der regulated purely on the basis of dis
lance. If that were done he could shut out
the competition of Seattle and the south.
But while he wanted such a rate for his
lumber he realized that such a principle
applied to the farm products OF Iowa,
which have to have low rates to allow their
sale abroad. would impoversh the farmers
and they could not buy lumber from him.
for that reason he felt more interested in
the general prosperity of the country, and
was convinced that the course pursued by
the roads is the best for the public at
large.
Asked whether there was any complaint
about the rates lumber in his part of
the country. he replied that he was fighting
all the time to get lower rates, but there
was no general dissatisfaction with the rail-
roads so far the lumbermen were con-
cerned.
I'VE have dissatisfaction on the part of
men who never ship lumber or any other
freight by the railroads" he declared.
He had obtained no rebates since the
passage Of the Elkins act
Doesn't Worry About Trusts.
Il don't know of any rebates since you
passed that villainous law that said 1 should
not have them"
He was not afraid of the railroads or any
corporations.
1.-The people used to talk about the trusts,
and they were afraid of them. But we
found the trusts busting all around us. The
fact is no trust can live that does not sell
cheaper than anybody else can. Mr. Rookie
Teller sold oil cheaper than any one else
could and the sugar trust sold sugar cheap
er than any one else. That is the way they
kept their business. But there will be no
trouble in the future about trusts. because
they can't monopolize brains. When Rookie
Teller dies the Standard on Company Will
not have his brains
Mr.. Shevlin didn't think much Of the gov
ernment's ability to do business. There was
too much red tape about it for him. He oio
not want to trust the government 10 NIX
rates.
What have you had to do with the gov
ernment?" Mr.. Cullom asked.
Il have sold the government lumber"
Didn't you get your money!"
"Oh, yes, but get my money from every
body. We have to walt long time Tor II.
II don't believe you like the government
very well. anyway" retorted Senator Gull
lom. '
"Oh, yes / do" replied the witness. Il
love the government. but l don't want to
do business with IT.. 1t is too d slow:
1t Is the best government on the face OF
the earth and l love 1t.
Opposed to Government Rates.
President Joseph Ramsay. jr.. of the Wa
bash railroad was the next witness. He
was asked to make general statement
concerning his views the proposition to
have commission regulate railroad rates.
I'm my opinion he said, 1.-The placing OF
the rate-making power in the hands OF the
interstate commerce commission or any
special body commission organized for
that purpose would be most detrimental to,
If not destructive Of our present CONNER
cial and Industrial prosperity.
Are the rates charged by the railroads
of this country too high? Not single ad-
vocate of these measures says So Even the
Interstate commerce commission pays it's
compliments to the railroads. saying that it
is the tendency of the carriers to reduce
continually their rates to market points.
1--WE must admit. therefore. that the
rates are low enough, and we next come to
the question of discrimination between
communities. Much of the talk on this
subjects amount to simply glitterng gen.
eralities that might apply to any portion
OF our country, but does not seem to apply,
as matter of fact, to any particular por-
We har ha thn into
state commerce act and the Elkins law
prohibit any unfair practices; the first
paragraph of section l of the interstate
commerce act says that charges must be
reasonable and just and every unjust
and unreasonable charge is prohibited and
declared to be unlawful.
1.-THE commission had failed to remedy
these Determinations, he declared, because
1t has not proceeded as the law specified.
Il do not propose to question the ability
or the fairness of the commission or its in
tent to do justice to all concerned, but there
some things beyond the human power
of any half dozen men. Any single body
Of men in this country. be they railroad
men or men Of the commission, cannot
make rates for the entire country.
Mr.. Bacon says thai any one can make
rates; that 1t is not necessary that men be
trained or experienced in this work. and
that the commission in the course of time
would accumulate experience which would
enable it 10 make rates fair, reasonable
and just to all parties. l presume any set
OF men Of good average ability and educa-
ton would accumulate experience during
a number of years on the bench which
would enable them to be pretty fair judges
and yet as rule judges are selected from
men trained and experienced in law.
FINALLY. we must remember that the
vesting of the rate-making power ln the
hands of the commission would simply be
the first step in the onward march of regu-
alton and governmental bureaucratic con-
troll of and Interference with business of
the country until instead Of being free
and independent people, claiming our birth
right of equal laws for all and freedom to
conduct our own affairs in our own way
$50 long as we do not infringe on the same
rights Of our fellow-men or violate the
common law of the land), we will be a peo-
pie governed by special class legislation
and ruled by the arbitrary and sometimes
despotic heads Of bureaus and depart
ments.