Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-02-24
HADLEY KICKS Says Hepburn Bill is
 Illogical. ENGLAND TRIED IT But Was Unable to Make It Work The Yale Professor Pub fishes an Article on
 the Question.

Boston. Feb 24-The Evening TraIt script today publishes an article by President Arthur T. Hadley of Yale university on the present status ol the rate regulation contest in Wash ington. Dr Hadley argues that the proposition of the Hepburn bill to make the decisions of the interstate commission final in all questions of fact is illogical and injpracticabie. He declares that a similar plan tried In England in the seven,Ies did not work and was finally repealed. He declares that the common law gives the shipper more protection than statutes as was shown in the Chesapeake x Ohio coal case recently decided by the supreme court. Yet in spite of these consider ations President Hadiey expresses the belief that the passage of the Hep burn bill would be better than any compromise thus far suggested. He says in part:
 Tn the first place if the railroad men attempt to have the bill modified it will be regarded as a selfish effort to block the wheels of legislation for their own private interest. This is al ways a blunder. From the standpoint of railroad management alone, the good from preventing the passage of the Hepburn bill would not be nearly as great as the harm which would come from assuming an attitude O. factious opposition. The Hepburn bill will not greatly hurt the railroads. If anybody is harmed much by illusory attempts to limit rights of appeal it will be the shippers. Should the Hep burn bill be passed in substantially the form in which it comes from the house of representatives there is q fair chance that after few years Of unsatisfactory operation it may be re pealed. But if compromise measure is adopted nobody will know who is responsible for the failure. Each par. ty will case the blame upon the other. Ten years hence we shall see that we have accomplished nothing but we shall be totally unable to tell whose fault it is.
 But apart fro many consideration of selfish interests or any attempt to forecast the future there are immed fate reasons against factious oppos- ition to any popular measure of re2ii- lation of moderate type. The country is today in the midst of a great wave of moral sentiment. This has been aroused by the insurance inquiry, by the evidences of political corruption fin cities, and by various abuses of corporate power which have come to light If the spirit of reform is al- lowed to have its own way it will re- suit in a good many wise acts and some foolish ones also. but the good is pretty sure to outweigh the evil. If on the other hand, this sentiment is re- sisted. every case of unintelligent re- sistance will give rise to deep seated misunderstanding: will intensity the evils and dangers incident eo the move ment: will make radicals out of those who should have been conservative, and will during the next time of com mercial crisis leave us face to face with the danger of bitter class struggles.
 'Of this movement of public senti ment President Roosevelt is the recog nlzed leader" President Hadley says.
 He Is a man of such many sided activity that very few people believe that he Is right in everything, but a great majority of the American people have confidence that tS is right in gen eraI. Therefore If the president to- day approves of law, there is more than ordinary reason for giving weight to his views. The position of many of the senators and representatives. that they will stand for a bill which has the approval of the president and not for one which fails to have his ap- proval. is, in my judgment. a wise one"