Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-05-11
.CUNN|NS ARGUES
FOR THE PEOPLE
Governor Appears Before Sen
ate Rate Committee and Pre-
sents the Public's Side
REPRESENTS MANUFACTURERS
Iowa Governor Argues For Disinter-
estod Tribunal to Hear Complaints
Of Shippers Against Carriers -
Thinks Railroads Are Doing Fairly
We'll In a Business Way.

Washington, May 11.---Governor A.
B. Cummins OF Iowa appeared before
the senate committee on Interstate
commerce today by invitation from the
committee and commissioned to rep
resent the Manufacturers Association
OF Iowa, to present the publics need
for some sort OF governmental regula-
tion Of unjust railroad rates. Cover
/, nor Cummins delivered a formal argu-
ment contending In brief that since
disputes were bound to arise between
shippers and carriers 1t was unjust and
outrageous to compel the shipper to
submit his case to his antagonist the
carrier. the public had right to an
impartial hearing from a disinterested
tribunal. 1t was one Of the most not
able arguments yet delivered before the
committees:
Governor Cummins said:
| Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen OF
the Committees: With your permis-
eASAsp = "Ah cu66SSSp llISt, tHe issue
which my statement Will be directed.
do this for the reason that, having
carefully read the statements already
submitted to you, / am led to the con-
clusion that many phases OF railroad
operation have been dealt with whicf,
are wholly irrelevant to the questions
upon which you are to report. The
chief, II not the only issue, as I under-
stand 1t, is this:
Shall congress invest commission
composed OF men competent to perform
the grave and responsible duties charg-
ed upon them. with the authority to
fix railroad rate In the stead Of one
established by. the railways but which
has been, after due hearing, condemned
under the law as 1t now exists? +
shall not concern myself at this
time with the constitutional power OF
congress to make the grant OF authors
ity, inasmuch as the attorney general
has put that controversy at rest. I
shall not take up the various meth
DDS proposed for attacking the action
of the commission thru the courts.
save to insist that O rate made by
the commission shall go Immediately
into effect, unless enjoined by pro-
ceeding regularly instituted In court
of competent Jurisdiction. There are
differences OF opinion upon this point
among those who believe In the exer-
else Of the proposed power, but they
do not involve the essential relief ex-
pected from the measure. confine
myself. therefore. In the first instance,
at least, to a consideration of the gen
rp1 tS,<s st,~,v y ~
the conditions which surround inter-
state Transportation, to invest a COM
mission with the authority to fix rate
in lieu Of one found to be unlawful?
Railroads Have obscured tho Issue.
consciously or unconsciously. many
of the witnesses who have appeared
before your committee, and who have
spoken from the railway. standpoint,
have obscured the issue by the reiter-
iated statement that railway rates are
lower, as a whole, in this country
than in any other This is an attrac-
tive and gratifying fact, and from it
the conclusion is drawn that further
remedial legislation is unnecessary.
do not doubt the fact, but it has no
pertinence in the present dispute.
Assuming that the rates exacted by
a common carrier are not to be fixed
at the pleasure Of the carrier, but must
be fair and reasonable when tested by
the criterion Of the public welfare. it
is manifest that to ascertain the VAL
idity of rate In the United States
we must examine the results Of traffic
carried on here, and the conditions un-
der which the service is performed,
rather than the rates prevalent in Eur
ope, where the conditions are dissimi-
lar and the results Of traffic different.
It is quite true that little complaint
has been made OF the unfairness Of
railway rates as whole: that is to say,
the aggregate income of all the rail-
ways has not been made the subject Of
much criticism. This is due. however.
not to a belief that the railways do
not exact more than fair compensa-
ton for the carriage of passengers
and freight, but because the discrimi-
nations practiced infiict so much great
er injury that the graver charge has
been made more prominent.
"In order, however, to show you that
the railways are not above criticism
in the aggregate revenue which they
receive for their service, notwithstand-
ing the fact that the rate per ton per
mile is less here than elsewhere. beg
to submit some statistics which be-
lieve to be authentic. Gn the figures
/ present, have disrega-ded, gener-
ally. fractions Of miles and fractions
Of dollars.)
Profits Of Railways.
According to the preliminary re-
port of the interstate commerce COM
mission on the income account OF rail-
ways for the year ending June 80, 1904,
there were 209,0o2 miles Of main line
railway in the United States. The
gross earnings Of the operating COM
panies aggregated $i.ess,6S3.S21. As
surning that e5 per cent Of the gross
earnings is fair average for opera
ton and maintenance, the net earn
ings Of these railway properties FOR
the wear were $6ss,321, s37. am not