Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-01-18
ROOSEVELTIS
DETERMINED
Congress Must Make Necessary
Changes in Interstate Commerce
Law to Enlarge lts Powers.
CONSIDERED PARAMOUNT ISSUE
u Congress Fails to Heed Demand Of
People Extra Session viii be
Called Next Spring.

Roosevelt continued To-Day his confer.
ence with members OF congress on
the subject of the tariff revision and
of legislation for providing for an in.
crease of the powers vf the Inter.
State Commerce commission. One
statement, which stands out almost
with the pre-eminence of an official
announcement, is that unless congress
at the present session should enact
legislation looking to a regulation OF
railroad freight rates, an extraordinary
session of the Fifty-Ninth congress
will be called by the president to deal
with that problem. 1t can be said
that the president regards the inter
state commerce question as the par
amount issue now before the Amerf.
can people.
At the conference last Saturday
he informed those whom he had sum-
naoned into consultation that, in his
judgment, the question of railroad
freight rates was tar more important
than that Of the tarin, and that while
he desired a reaatastment of the ex-
listing customs duties, he woald not
permit any radical differences in the
Republican party ON that question.
He said definitely that he would call
an extraordinary session OF congress
to consider Interstate commerce leg
islatim unless definite action was tak-
en- by congress ON the subject at the
present session. At that session, he
hoped. tariff revision to the extent
he had indicated might be accomplish
ed, but he made it perfectly clear
that in his mind the OvershadNwing
Issue was that OF railroad freight
rafes
In talk today with Speaker Can.
non, who is recognized as being op-
posed at this time to any revision
of the tariff, the president reiterated
his statement made at Saturdays
conference that while he desired ac-
tiOn on the Qeustion, he was willing
to abide by the Indignant nf the Re
publican leaders in congress, as he re-
garded tine tariff question as one
which the chosen Representatives a1f
the American people should determ-
ine. He indicated I'm SD many words
that while 80 years hence practically
nobody would be able to say whether
the tariM duties ON amy given ARTICLE
at this time we're 50 per cent advaEur-
EN- and nobody would care anything
about what the duties were; the in
ter-state commerce question involved
a principle dear to every right think
ing and right minded American pre-
cisely As the whole matter of delIimg
with corporations involves a principle,
and he would fight for that last prin-
ciple with all the power that i'm him
lies.
The president corrDborated the
statement attributed to him that the
tariff question was one merely OF ex-
pediency, which would be solved With
out friction between him and the COM
gress. Any radical difference, Re is
known to have said, between him and
the congress on the tarin revision
matter, is quite impossible.
Speaker Cannon declined when he
left the white house to discuss ser
iously the tariff revision question-
When pressed for statement con-
cerning the prospect of an extra ses-
sion, Speaker Cannon replied that
Theodore Roosevelt was the only one
in the United States who could call
an extra session and that he would
announce in due time his decision.
Representative Murdock. of Kansas.
talked with the president today about
the interstate commerce question.
When he left the white house he
said he had no doubt that an extraor-
dinary session of the next congress
would be called to consider railroad
legislation. unless something Of q
practical nature should be accomplish
ed nj NC1Sa ,nreSont sASaiOn