The Washington times., 1906-03-07
LARGE FORTUNES
MENACE PUBLIC
So Says Mr.. Knapp to Club
of Churchmen.
w IL BE VITALISSUE E
Declares Growing Generation Must Be
Prepared to Take Steps as
to It's Control.
WILL BE VITALISSUE

The question for the growing gener-
alton 10 decide will be one far more
complicated. more reaching and of a
wider scope than the question OF rail-
road rates that is now under considera-
tion by Congress. 1t is the question of
the control OF wealth
Railroad rate regulation is but the
beginning of a general movement for
Government control OF many Of the
franchises now being held by corpora
tions trusts and mouopolies-
Rate Regulation Stepping Stone.
This was the statement made by
Martin A Knapp. chairman of the In
terstate Commerce Commission in his
talk 20 the Mems Club of Assembly s
Presbyterian Church last night. Mr..
Knapp was asked to speak on Railway
Rates. he began on that subject, but
in the course of his exposition
brancked out on the broa6er economic
question of the just distribution OF
wealth..
He spoke of the gigantic combines of
railroads and their close affiliation with
other Branches of industry.
Close Affiliation Illustrated.
ADD two names to the present list
OF railroad presidents OF the nine large
railroads, and you have a majority OF
the stockholders OF the Steel trust" he
said. add another name or two and
You have the controlling power in the
Standard oil trust, life insurance com
panies, and the two largest banks in
New York.
".kre you going TO allow this Gov
ernments to be run from Wall Street or
from Washington" he asked the young
men OF the club. cit viii be a question
you sgiH have TO solve sooner or later"
he added.
The country, he claimed. was just
awakening TO the question. The people
are beginning to realize that we have
grown too fast to have given time for
much consideration of things foreign to
tho development of resources The con-
ditions under which we are now operat-
ing are just beginning to be understood
and the rate question is the first one
that we are trying to solve.
Evils But Lately Apparent.
That question has but recently come
before u.s." he said. 'In 1880 the charges
OF discrimination or rebating were few.
In the succeeding ten years the COM
plants made were more than double
what they had been before. Now Con-
gresa proposes to legislate to prevent
saontinuance of such crime. 1t has
not yet fully determined in what way
1t will iegislate. as there is much differ
eRCe of opinion to the most practi-
cal solution of the problem.
To the average man it appears
simple enough. That is explainable by
the fact that they do not study It on
an economic basis. 1t is a much deep
er question than it appears upon its
face The best of legal minds differ
as To whether a clause providing for
judicial review should be included. That
Question the members of our Congress
are fighting out This I merely mention
TO show how deep-seated the PROPOSE
ton OF Government control of railroad
rates IS, and to further illustrate the
fact that what appears TO the average
citizen as a simple problem is held by
their representatives in Congress as a
question OF great magnitude
Meaning of Rebates.
Mr.. Knapp explained to his audience
In several ways what was meant by re-
. bates and discrimination
He said the only way 10 prevent re-
bates and discrimination was to make
such an offense a misdemeanor, punish
able by fine ~ Imprisonment
Mr.. Knapp Has roUndIy appiauded at
the end of his two-hour address The
program was intersrarsed with music.
An informal luncheon concluded the
meeting. The club viii hold its next
meeting on April g.