The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-03-16

road Investments are Small-He
Does Not Object to a Modified Form
of Review by the Ccart-No Doubt
Exists, He Declared. as to the Con-
stitutionality of the Proposed Law.
Washington, March 13.-Before TAX
ing up the railroad questions today the
senate passed a number of bills, some
of which were of considerable import
ance. One Of them provides for the
punishment of government officials for
b premature divulgence of secret in
formation of government bureaus i'll
such matters as the crOp reports; an
other grants executive authority in the
matter Of the construction of bridges
over nayigable streams, and still an
other gives congressional sanction to
the effort or the part of Delaware and
New Jersey, to adjust their long pend
ing boundary dispute.
Mr.. Simmons made the only speech
of the day on the railroad rate cues
ton. He announced bis support of
the house measure, but said he would
not oppose reasonable notifications.
Mr.. Tillman announced that after to-
morrow he would seek to have the rate
bill taken up for consideration each
day Immediately after the disposing
Of the routine business of the senate,
instead of waiting until 2 o'clock.
Among the bills passed were the fol-
lowing:
Authorizing the construction of a
bridge across Perdido river, in Bald
win county, Alabama.
Authorizing the Mobile railway COM
pany to construct bridges across Dog
and Fowl river in Alabama.
In his address Mr.. Simmons gave
practically all his attention to the
right of congress to confer upon the
interstate commerce commission the
power to fix rates, %contending that such
a right exists beyond question. He
asserted, contrary to b contentious Of
Mr.. Lodge, Mr.. Foraker and other Op-
ponents Of the pending bill, that 'ex
listing transportation rates are in many
instances unjust and u~nreasonably
high and that unfair and ruinious dis
examinations are practiced against in
dividuals and localities"
He reached the conclusion that 'if
the high grade commodities on which
high rates are charged are mixed in
discriminatory with lower grade ON
modities upon which lower rates are
charged, b average cost per ton mile
will be Influenced to a far greater ex-
toni hv tho orooy,nf Of ro hn11n1
than by the rate charged"
lit is a fact Of common knowledge
shown by statistics and verified by the
reports of the interstate commerce
commission" he asserted, that during
the period of our great prosperity and
business activity, there has been an
increase in the volume Of Ow grade
freights altogether tut of proportion to
the increase in volume of high grace
freights altogether out of proportion to
down the increase in the average rate
per ton mile
He declared that the result was a
decidedly large increase in the average
rate per ton.
Mr.. Simmons also c~Ontraverted the
contention that the profits on railroad
investments are small. LAS a matter
of fact" he said, Legitimate railroad
profits have greatly increased in recent
years."
After giving illustrations and assert
ing that the 800 independent railway
lines of the country had been reorgan-
ICED into six or eight groups be said:
Notwithstanding this false and fc-
titious capitalization on account of the
enormous earning capacity of u rail-
roads, the percentage of railroad stocks
paying dividends and the earning ca
pacity of railroads has materially in
creased in recent years and is still in
ereasing."
He hoped that the rapacity of both
the railroads and the big shippers
would be restrained.
He did not believe. he said, that the
supervision of rates by the govern
ment would result in injury to the
roads.
He defended the interstate commerce
commission against the charge of in
competency and, coming abruptly to
the question of the power that should
be given the courts. said:
I'VE had as well look the fact in the
face. The plain truth in this contest
between these corporations and b
people is that the railroads want the
laws affecting them administered by
tribunals composed of men appointed
for life, and whose amenability to the
people is therefore remote. They are
not opposed to trusting the powers
conferred by this legislation in the
commerce commission, because they
do not believe competent and impartial
men will at all times compose, that
commission, but because they fearthat
the power of the people to quickly call