Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-15
RAYNOR'S SPEECH
ST|RS Up SENATE
MARYLANDER MAKES ADDRESS
ON RATE BILL
Foraker, Lodge and DoIliVer Warm
Up Under Speakers Remarks.
Discrimination Is the Real
BY Associated Press.

WASHINGTON, March 1.-THE rail-
road rate bill today reached the contro-
versial stage in the senate. The ques-
ton came up in the regular order of
business shortly before 2 o'clock and
held the floor until the doors were
closed for a brief executive session
shortly before s o'clock. Mr.. Raynor
was the chief speaker of the day.
Among the senators who were
aroused by him were Messrs. Foraker,
Lodge and Dolliver. Both the Ohio and
Massachusetts senators took exception
TO Raynor's contention that the rail-
roads have interfered with the framing
of the bill, and Mr.. Foraker also ex-
pressed himself as dissatisfied with the
intimation that the railroads are rep
resented on the floor of the senate.
Mr.. Dolliver expressed dispeasure
with the plea for amendments. and
went so far as to say that the help of
such friends as Mr.. Raynor could very
well be dispensed with. Other senators
who participated in the debate were
Messrs. Aldrich, Tillman and Knox.
Mr.. Knox freely expressed his opinion
that the bill would be unconstitutional
without a provision for review. Mr..
, Tillman reiterated his objection to the
bill and INDUCED in some characteristic
phrases in stating his position con-
cluding with the remark that he be-
lieVed that the bill could be so amended
as to make it acceptable.
The argument of Mr.. Raynor was
directed in favor of the general propo-
sition that the congress has the right to
fix rates but that the bill could be so
amended as to dispense with the pro-
vision.
Discrimination Real Issue
Mr.. Raynor announced his adherence
to the rate bill as it passed the house,
and entered Immediately upon the con-
sideration of the various branches of
his subject. He expressed the opinion
that discrimination is the real issue.
"If,' he said, IAN accurate railroad dis
elimination map of the United States
were published today there is hardly
anyone who could be made to believe
that it truly represents the actual situ-
alton. We know for instance, that the
rate on certain lines of merchandise
from Chicago to Denver is nearly three
times as much as the rate on precisely
the same list of merchandise from New
York to San Francisco. We know that
it costs less to ship goods the entire
distance across the continent than it
does to ship the same goods one-third
the distance, and that when goods are
destined from Boston to Salt Lake they
are carried to California and back again
to Salt Lake in order to obtain the
cheap rate; and knowing these things
we must realize that such a condition
of affairs at least requires supervision
upon the part of some tribunal outside
of and beyond the railroads that are
simply building up their own territory
to increase their own revenue and
profits"
Admitting the difficulty of dealing
with this subject because of the effect
of water competition, Mr.. Raynor said:
What we require is a little common
sense upon this subject. We cannot
pass law that will convert the towns
and hamlets of Iowa Immediately into
great manufacturing centers, but what
we can do is to take a broad view of
the whole field and ascertain If we
cannot endow a tribunal with adequate
power, whenever cases occur where un-
necessary discrimination is practiced,
to apply a remedy without inflicting
any injury upon the railroad"
He then discussed what he declared
to be the impotency of the interstate
commerce commission under the pres
ellI law 10 ellOTCe rdle-IlldhlllS ueCfeeS.
Power of Congress
He contended that there is no doubt
of the power of congress to vest q
commission with the power to establish
rates, basing his conclusion upon de-
cisions of the supreme court.
Referring to Senator Foraker's con-
tention that the holdings of the court
are againct this power he declared the
contrary to be true Mr.. Raynor re-
piled seriatim to Mr. Forakers points
He declared his satisfaction with the
bill as it passed the house.
Reference was made to the claim that
the enactment of the proposed legisla-
tion would demoralize the railroad sys-
tenn and the business interests of the
country and in that connection Mr..
Raynor said he would admit that it
would be a great pity to destroy the
equilibrium or destroy the proper bal
ance of Messrs. Vanderbilt, Morgan,
Gould and Hartman.
On the question of a review of the
findings of the commission by the
courts Mr.. Raynor said he had reached
the conclusion that the courts with
power reposed in them will give ample
protection to the carriers in every
case where the commission does not
allow them just compensation and will
not compel them to prove that a single
rate is absolutely confscatory.
II am" he said, Sin favor of an
amendment to the Hepburn bill vest
ing in the court the right to try the
question of unjust compensation, with
restraining orders abolished, and with
the further right, if possible, to let
the court fix the rate if it reverses the
order of the commission. With these
changes am in favor of the bill as
passed by the house, and if we cannot
get these changes I prefer to take the
bill as it is rather than mutilate or
destroy it's efficiency"
Announcing that his interests are
identical with the railroads, Mr.. Ray
nor advised the railroad managers to
accept the pending legislation lest the
people take the question into their own
hands and organize a political party
that will be irresistible and will in the
end enact far more stringent pro-
xyfcionc