Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-14

and corn range from y 6-l0 per cent to 81
| per cent of the value of the property car
| ried.
THE rate on live stock" Mr.. Bird con-
| tinued. shows conclusively that, while live
| stock requires more care and costs more
| for transportation than any of the other
| articles. il is paying less than one-half or
| Its share of the cost Of transportation. pro-
| vided the rates of other articles which are
unchallenged are anywhere nearly reason
| able.
| A Reasonable Rate.
1T is not plain and 1t has never been
| suggested that the southwestern roads
| earn more than a reasonable return upon
| their investment. Consequently, the aggre-
| gate of their revenue derived from that
| traffic is not unreasonable. and the figures
| show that live stock is certainly not paying
| more than its just share of the transporta-
| ton charges to southwestern roads
The reduction of rates to the carriers is
| the same thing capital punishment to
| the individual. The only right or privilege
| which attaches to railroad ownership is the
| right to fix and collect a rate for services
| rendered. That right and that privilege IS
| its sole property. and railroad owners
| should not be deprived of that right with
| out due process of law.
Mr.. Bird spoke of the rivalry between
various towns on the line of railroad as
a cause Of competition in rates which has
the effect of bringing rates down.
There is no class of men so subservient
| Clared Mr. Bird. We learned in 1S61-G5
that you can't operate railroad in the
enemy's country.
THAT which the traffic viii hear Is the
| true test of ratemaking,' he said. Not
| what you can squeeze out of II, but what
| its value will warrant
He then showed that IN the of hogs.
sheep and cattle shipped 500 miles from
| Texas to points in the middle west the
| roads get from 10 to Il per cent of the
value of the freight, while many other
| staple articles hauled have rates of - to 81
per cent of the value. He declared that the
cattle rate so vigorously complained of was
really too low TO pay the railroads.
Control of Refrigerator Cars.
Mr.. Bird said he was vice president of
! the American Refrigerator Transit Com
pany which is not a private car line
He believed that private cars are under
| control of the interstate commerce COM
| mission at this time under the law, and that
additional legislation in that respect was
| not necessary.
81 really believe there are no secret re-
bates now" he said. There may be prefer
| ences in the published tariffs to some com
| r.unities. but the secret rebate has gone"
! Would Suggest No Amendment.
| Mr.. Bird said he had no suggestion as to
amending the interstate commerce law ex-
| cept to expedite 1t.
II am perfectly satisfied to let the COM
1
| but am not willing to have 1t declar re what
| rate shall be substituted for it. l believe"
| he added. that the interstate commerce
| commission has done great work an in
| termedary. l know OF no complaint OF the
| interstate commerce law by the railroads.
| From railroad standpoint l do not know
| that l could suggest any addition to the
| law. AS | have said. possibly it would be
| expedient and in the interest of the people
| to make some provision by which the hear
| ings before the commission would be
pedited."
| Mr. Bird said that he agreed with former
| Commissioner Cooley that any rate charged
| by railroad less than the cost of the
service was likely to become an injustice to
other traffic by causing deficit that would
| have to be made up some other traffic
| The witness declared that he knew of no
instance In the nineteen states in which the
Gould system operates in which the long
and short haul clause of the interstate
commerce law is violated in the case of any
| short haul wholly within the long haul.
Effect Of the Proposed Law.
Nearly per cent of the complaints of
shippers are settled by the railroads without
going further. But when you establish a
| commission with power to fix rates then
| these same people Will go to the commission
| instead of to the railroad with their com
plants. They will under the Townsend
Esch bill have nothing to lose and every
| thing to gain.
right to modify the law it exists today
, AS soon as you pass the Townsend Esch bill
the commission would have the right to
modify that law
I'VE want our day in court. We want to
go there and have all the advantages of
| the protection of property and every other
advantage We can get. There is no demand
for that law-no real genuine demand.
Why experiment?
The power behind these complaints Is
from phantom organizations. Why are
the railroads picked out to be the victims
of men who want to pick OFF something for
their own pockets? The railroads are doing
the best they can. twenty-five years ago
we would have thought the present con-
dition of railroad development impossible.
Why interfere with It?''
Other Witnesses
Mr. William 2. Ripley, professor of eco
namics at Harvard University testified
briefly and was excused until tomorrow
morning. when he will at length explain
his Views on the railroad situation He
stated that in 1900 he the railroad ex-
pert of the Industrial commission.
Mr.. c. A. Jennings, Chicago, manager
| Of the transportation department OF the
American Cotton OIL Company operating
about seventy plants and crushing 10000
| tons cotton seed was heard. He had been
years and had no complaint against the
railroads. In that time rates have been
materially reduced
with such an experience 1 cannot rec
onimend any change OF the law" he said.
Mr.. Andrew ]. Crane. president of
statement which was ordered printed In
the record. He did not favor rate legisla-
ton.