Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-05-15
President AGAIN SPEAKS ON
Rate LEGISLATION.
Occasion a Banquet rendered by
Denver Chamber OF Commerce.
Commission Should Fix Rates
Pending Appeal-private Car
Evil Needs to Be Remedied.

denver, May lO-Ih0 entertainment
of President Roosevelt by the citizens
Of Denver was fitting conclusion of a
day Of royal welcome as he journeyed
through the etate of Colorado from
tilenwood Springs. All the towns
along the Denver and Rio Grande rail
road, over which the presidential party
Travelled, gathered at the stations to
greet the president, and every evidence
Of hearty good will was seen and
heard. The GROWING event came in
the form of banquet rendered Presi.
dent Roosevelt by the Denver Chambe
Of Commerce at tho Brown Palace
hotel.
In brief speech Justice Fabbert in
troduced the president, who rose amid
cheers and responded to the toast,
1.-The Nation"
After discussing various questions Of
interest, particularly to Colorado, the
president took up the railroad rate leg
islation as follows:
81 want to say word as to the gov
eminent poicy in which feel that this
whoe country ought to take a great
interest and which is itself but part
of general poicy into which l think
our government must go. l speak of
the policy Of extending the powers Of
the Interstate commerce commission
and of giving them particularly the
power to fix rates and to have the rates
that they fix go into effect practically
at once. As say, that represents in
my mind part of what should be the
general policy ofthis country, the poll
cy of giving, not to the state. but to
the genera government an increased
regulatory power over corporations.
The First Necessary Step.
1.-The first step, and to my mind the
most important step, is thus connected
with giving such power over the great
transportation corporations Of this
country. was going to say when the
first pioneers came to Colorado, but
that would hardly be 90, but in the
days Of the fathers Of the Oldest among
you, the highways of commerce for
civilized nations we're what they had
always been-that is, waterways and
roads. Therefore, they were open to
all who chose to travel, upon them.
Within the last two generations we
have seen system grow up nnder
which the old methods were complete
ly revolutionized, and now the typical
highway Of commerce is, of course,
the railroad.
Compared with the railroad, the
ordinary road for wheeled vehicles,
and the waterway, whether natural or
artiofiial, have lost their importance.
Here in Colorado, for instance, the
railroads are the only highways you
need to take into account in dealing
with the question Of commerce in the
state, or outside the state. Therefore,
under this changed system, we see the
highways Of commerce grow up, each
Of which 10 controlled by single cor
poration or individual, sometimes sew
eral Of them being controlled in COM
mon BY corporations or by few indi.
viduals.
Cannot Cure Al Evils.
"When such is the CASE, in my judg-
ment it is absolutely necessary that
the nation for the state cannot posi-
bly, do it-should assume a supervisory
and regulatory function over the great
corporations which practically control
the highways of commerce.
The president cautioned his hearers
not to believe that with these things
done the millennium would have ar.
rived. Some good would then have
been done, some injustice prevented,
but there would still be much that is
not as it should be. These things re-
membered store of Disappointment
would not be laid up for those who ex.
pected more than would be accom-
plished. Continuing, the president
said:
81 cannot attempt to speak in detail
of what should be put into the law, as
hope to see it passed at the next ses-
sion of congress.
Not only sould tbs power of rate leg
islation 60 into effect, but in my be-
lief, we should at the same time deal
with the private car, which, as regards
certain industries, offers an even great.
ar menace than is offered by the pres
emit system Of Fl fixing rates.