Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1905-06-01
.TAFTEXPLATNS RULE
Congress Failed to Lay Down Law
As Guide.
MUST BUILD ASBUSINESSdEE WOULD
Not Question OF Protection or FIRES
Trade-RnIlrOad Rate Question
Is Merely AZ tn what LesiS-
IatIon II Needed.

Cincinnati, May 27.-The celebration
OF the 25th anniversary of the Cincin
natl commercial club closed Frida,
with a banquet at which the speaker
discussed questions Of the day. Tn
cities represented at the banquet wer'
Boston, Chicago, st. Louis and Cincin
natl. Secretary Of War Taft made thu
principal speech of the evening.
President VOORHEES, of the local com
mercial club was POSTMASTER.
Secretary of War Taft spoke on POL
icy and Practice" saying: IF the
Panama canal were inside the territory
of the United States Of course all ma
terials used on the canal could pay
duty or be brought In the United
States, but as the construction of the
canal is a number of days journey
from the tariff wall Of the United States
1t presents exactly the same case as is
presented in the case of the Philippine
islands. Now II congress wants to
pay more than France was willing to
pay then they are welcome to do 30,
but in the absence Of rule we feel
we must carry out the rule that applies.
That law requires that prices and quail
ity being the same we must buy Amer
lean goods. In the absence OF a rule
we feel bound by our trust to build
as cheaply as possible. We submitted
the question to congress on this line
asking congress to lay down a rule.
II there is no rule we must build as
business man would build. Now there
is no question of protection or free
trade it is merely our duty under the
law as it stands. If the rule or law
is changed therefore we must change
He spoke of the work Of the commits
sioners on the canal and praised high
ly the men who have been put at the
head of the work. He then spoke OF
the relation of the government to the
railroads.
81 can not but think" he said, "the
discussion which is now going on has
had a much wider scope than Is nee
essary. The question is the passage
Of certain legislation and the discuss
ion is properly narrowed by considera-
ton of what that legislation is"
He explained the present statute on
The interstate commission calling at
tention to its references to unreason-
able rates." and the position Of the
interstate commission on the matter
He insisted that the measure proposed
vas very moderate measure and that
t was unfair to denounce it SO severely |
Is had been done. He believed the
.hanges proposed by the Esch-Town-
end bill would result in good.
President Lucius Tuttle, Of the Bos-
on and Maine railway. spoke Of "the
Relation of the National Government
o the Railways"
He said in part:
"In attempting to speak from the
ailroads' side of this controversy 1t
nay be said: AS to irregular practices
N the present railroads and their GUS
omers in the matter Of special favors,
rivate car contracts, secret tariff, re-
ates, ect, doubtless there were in
he past too many instances.
They were largely matters of usage
rowing out of, and inseparable from,
he marvellous commercial activity and
expansion of the latter half Of the last
entury, and were a natural outcome
I the competition that followed the
apid construction and extension of
ew lines of railroad and they have
ad their exact counterpart In every
ranch of commercial and business life
ut from careful and extended inquiry
believe that whatever Of these abuses
lere were have been so disposed of
trough the natural workings Of econ ,
mic conditions, that their volume is
o longer great enough to make them
a important factor, but II they are,
10 so-called Elkins amendment of the
commerce law, passed in 1908 !
rovides an adequate remedy; and
lere seems to be reasonable ground
II the prevalent belief that the in
'rstate commerce commission has, for
'asons best known to itself, failed to
se the added power it has for two
bars possessed under the law to sup
-ess these Irregularities. but has been
Hing to befog the problem by confus-
e the separate and distinct rate
aking power with that OF prescrib-
g maximum rates. '
ao..-a-.n a. :. ~.