The Washington times., 1905-12-04
Mr.. Moody Means Business.

The annual grist of departmental
reports is not likely 10 include any
matter OF more interest than the
half dozen subjects especially en-
phasized by the Attorney General
in the document outlined elsewhere
in this issue. The whole instrument
is concise, clear. convincing. More
important still, il sets forth in
small compass a deal OF information
on half a dozen matters which are
now bright in the eyes OF the Ameri-
can. people
On the departments need for q
decent home. MIR. Moody says this:
Six veats ago the department build
ing on Pennsylvania avenue was con-
demned unsafe. and the Attorney
General and all of his subOrdinatos
were driven TO the street, TO find refuge
where they could. The department Is
now occupying seven rented buildings.
situated in different parts Of the city.
at an annual rental OF $25.S0O There Is
the wOrkmen and their tools together
This condition is inconvenient. uneco-
nomical. and humiliating.
There are paragraphs similarly
outspoken and similarly strong on
the need for Furnishing misconduct
in Office like that which produced
the cotton leaks; the difficulty of
suppressing discrimination under
existing laws, and the effect of the
rate-making power upon it; proceed
ings under the Sherman act land
they are both more numerous and
more important than has been gen
orally believed); and the need for a
review of proceedings in lower
courts involving persons indicted for
crime against the laws of the United
States
Proper comment on these several
headings would require the citation
here OF as much OF the report as is
printed in the news columns. BIT
two or three paragraphs will give
the key to it. They occur III the
course of the Attorney Generals
consideration OF the Elkins act and
read:
Officials of railroads have in general
terms assured me of their Willingness
TO aid the department I'm every way in
enforcing the provisions of the law
against rebates. Determinations and de-
partures from published rates. but have
declined 10 render ,iiv Uniy assistance
that would be OF the slightest value.
namely. The furnishing of evidence prov
Ing the Offense.
To every case OF this kind there are
TWO guilty parties. The department has
heen. and is. WilliiisfS - accept the evil
dence either OF the shipper or OF the
railroad official giving him the immuni-
" from prosecution which would re-
suit from the use of the evidence and
10 proceed by Indictment against the
other guilty party. But for reasons
which VIII be appreciated by an men
nave ShTunk from betraying their con-
feoerates. The cases. therefore. in vvbfcl,
evidence has been or will be obtained
ar; ar occasional and exceptional and un-
- " are content 10 allow the evil Of
the discriminatory practice by common
tdITl.(S 20 continue. with now and then
.ne punlshment OF detected crime
some remedy which reaches deeper than
any law now upon the stature book
must be found
This reference TO some remedy
which reaches deeper than any law
now upon the statute books" is
significant, of course. But Mr..
Moody does not stop there. For
plain, Yankee, common sense this
paragraph would be hard 10 beat:
Illustrating by the case OF the Pabst
brswlng Company just stated il might
: weil De found that the railroads con-
,erHed IN that case, which were able to
transport the beer OF the Pabst Brew
Ihg company IN the private cars OF the
transportation company at a net price
, ! per cent less than the published rate
tpuin wen afford 70 transport al beer
uhder IKE conditions at the same rate
Ihis suggestion does not obviate
the necessity for Providing some s,e:-
ter means to discover when such
special grants are granted. But it
does provide the body intrusted with
that duty with a fine method of de-
termining a reasonable rate beyond
all the cavil Of the ingenious and
public spirited attorneys now in the
employ OF the railroads.