The evening world., 1905-10-19
SPEAKS FOR RATE BILL.
Makes Demand for Supervisory
Power Over Railroads, Feature
Of North Carolina Speech.
MUST RULE THE BOOKS, TOO.
He Pays Tribute TO Confederates In
Telling the People
Their Duties.

RALEIGH, N. c., Oct. B.-Presiden'
Roosevelt in his speech here to-day
took occasion TO declare against Gov
ernment ownership Of anything tina
can with propriety be left in private
hands. He made a notable exception Of
tho country's forests, wa,ch he declared
the peoples interests demanded should
be public holdings.
The President went on record as
strenuously Directing TO Government
ownership of railroads.
This was brought out by him In ad-
vocating the regulation Of railroad
rates By the Federal Government which
h. made the feature Of his talk In
putting forth his ideas he showed no"
much in earnest he lie In forcing Con-
sreseional legislation that will be tuiiy
effective.
Must Be Controlled,
~AotuaJ experience has shown ne
nld. that It is not possible to leave
the railroads uncontrolled c a sys-
sem, or rather such a lack OF system,
a fertile In abuses Of every KIND n
nuts a premium upon unscrupwous ana
ruthless cunning in railroad manage
ment.
'Experience has shown that che pres
snt laws are defective and iced amend
ment. The effort to prohibit all re-
stmint Of competition, whether reason
able or unreasonable, Is unwise' n
we need is to have some administra-
tive body with ample power to FORBID
combination that is hurtful to the pub
Nc. and to prevent favoTiteism to n
individual at the expense Of another
in other words, we want an admin
istrative body with the power to Sc
cure fair and just treatment as among
all shippers who use the railroads
and all shippers have 0 right to use
them.
I'm my Judgment, the most important
thing to do is TO give to this admins
trative body power to make Its findings
effective, and this car be done only by
giving It power, when complaint Is
made Of a given rate as being unjust
or unreasonable, II It finds the COM
plant o then Itself to fix a maxi
mum rate which II regards as just end
reasonable, this rate to go into cnect
practically at once-that is, within a
reasonable time-and to stay IN effect,
unless reversed by the courts.
81 earnestly hope that we shall see
a law giving this power passed by Con-
gress.
Moreover, / hope that by law, power
VIII be conferred upon Representatives
Of the Government, capable OF perform
ing the duty OF public accountants caro-
fully 10 examine into the books Of rail
roads, when so ordered by The Interstate
Commerce Commission, which should IL.
self have power to prescribe what books,
and whb books only, should be KEEP by
railroads"
Not Revolutionary.
This IL not a revolutionary proposal
on my part, for | only wish the same
power given in reference TO railroads
that Is now exercised as a matter Of
course by the national bank examiners
as regards national banks, My object
In giving these additional powers to
the administrative body representing
the Government-the Interstate Com.
merce Commission, or whatever II may
be-is primarily 10 secure a real and
not a sham control TO the Government
representatives.
Excerpts Railroads.
II do not believe In government
ownership Of anything whiuh can witt
propriety be left In private hands, and
In particular / should most strenu,
ously object 10 governments ownership
OF railroads.
But / believe with equal hrmnes'
that II Is out Of the question for The
Government not TO exercise a supervls
DRY and regulatory right over the rail,
roads, for II Is vial 10 the well-bejnG
OF the public that they should be man
aged IN a, spirit Of fairness and iustic,