The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-25

construction. When the railroads pre- scribe just reasonable, and fairly re- munerative rates In the beginning no one will interfere, and It is only when they do not do so that the commission will interfere and see that no injustice is done. How can any fair-mnded man complain? Is it not fair and right to have a disinterested tribunal, such as the interstate commerce commission. giV- en the power to determine in contested cases what is just between railroad and shipper, what Is right between man and man. as the courts of the land have done for centuries past?
 The very foundation stones of all civil ized governments are the courts; life. property and human liberty are depend- ent on them for preservation and protec- tion. The interstate commerce commits sion is merely great court, vested with the power to see that the railroad high ways of the country are kept open to all citizens alike on Just and equal terms; that monopolistic greed shall not possess them as an instrument to oppress the poor, and that honest industry may freely use them to develop the great resources Of our country.
 This legislation does not attempt to make railroad rates, but it says to every citizen of the United States if you com plain that the rates given you by the railroads for the transportation of your goods, wares and merchandise are such as to drive you out of the markets you are entitled to reach on equal terms with your competitors If you are not permitted to build up your business and develop your industry, then 1t says we have ap pointed a tribunal before whom you can take your case and justice will be done.
 
 railroad company is not given the right to make all the money it can as ar ordinary private corporation has the right to do If l am in the shoe busi- ness, | have right to make all the profit l fairly and honestly can. That is not the case with a railroad company. Is there any man on the floor of the house, whether he is in favor of this proposition or against 1t, who will con tend that the owner of an old-time turn pike who has the right to charge toll to each wagon that passes on the road would have the right to make the farm CTS bringing their produce to town pay exorbitant tolls? Not one. Is there man here who will deny that the rates charged for driving along the turnpike should be only reasonable and just, and that the owner of the turnpike should have only fair and reasonable return on his investment? Not one. The railroads stand exactly in that attitude toward the public. They are entitled to a fair and reasonable return on the capital invested. They are entitled to keep up the better ments of the road; they are entitled to pay running expenses. and there Is no legislation congress can pass that can take that right away from them, but they are not entitled to take more.
 There is another phase of this question that I wish to call to the attention of the house before I conclude.
 Last fall a number of gentlemen claim ing to represent the railroad men of Amer ica called on the President of the United States and protested against the enact ment of the legislation we now have under consideration, claiming that it would have a tendency to reduce the wages of railroad employees in this coun- try. Since that time l have received a number of petitions from railroad em- ployes in my district requesting me to vote against the bill on the ground that 1t would reduce their wages, These pe- tltions are all in the same language. have the appearance of being all manufactured >by the same hand and to come from source other than that of the employees themselves. Let me read you a part of one of these petitions:
 Whereas of the total number of em- ployes mentioned above. 56O4 were loco motive firemen, whose share of the wages paid amounted to $37, ,4S4,2s3: and
 Whereas in this country. where the rate making power is in the hands of the railroads, the average daily wage paid f1remen in 1903 was BPS, while in Bel giun, with state railroads, 1t was but 72 cents. and in Great Britain, with govern ment control of rates. only 9l cents, all though our freight rates are the lowest in the world Therefore, be it
 Resolved, That we, the Tombigbee lodge, No. 426. Brotherhood of Locomotive Bremen. consisting of ITO members, are opposed to the enactment of any iegsla- ton which will give to the interstate commerce commission, or to any other body the power to make the rates for l the railroads of this country. thereby con trolling their employees, and consequently their ability to pay fair wages to their employees.
 Railroad Employers in Country. Now, MT Chairman. the report of the interstate commerce commission for the year 1904 shows that there are 1,312537 railroad employees in this country, whose annual wages amount to the sum of 175,- 321 415. We can not pass the petition of this great number of American citizens by without givnig them a most careful consideration I have studied the ques- ton from their standpoint as thoroughly as I could. and have come to the con- clusion that railroad rate legislation will not affect them in any way. In the first place, as I have shown by the supreme court decision that I have already read, that any railroad rate made by a rail- road commission that did not provide suf-