The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-22
ASKS STATES TO
KEEP HANDS OFF.
Remedy for Bad Car Service Lies
with Congress-, Says Com
missioner Clark.
ACTION BY STATES
.- MIGHT HAMPER CURE
Senators from the Dakotas AL
ready Drawing Bills on
the Matter. ~'''~r.,--.
BY W. W, Jermane. Colorado Building,

BY w. w. Jermane. Colorado Building,
Washington, D. c. ' -.
Washington, Dec. 22.-In Minnesota,
the Dakotas, Montana, Idaho, Washing
ton and Oregon, and in the states Of
the Southwestern fact, everywhere in
the car shortage zone-there are signs
that state legislatures, which are to
meet early in January, purpose giving
careful attention to the shortage CUES
ton, with a view to .enacting laws.
, 1t is the opinion of the Interstate com
mission that such action will not bring
relief, and that it ought not, to be
taken. The commission holds that the
only effective remedy lies in congress,
to which it will make an appeal with
executive backing in the form Of a
hope that state legislatures will, to use
slang expression, ''keep off the
grass. ~ - II 81
With a view to obtaining an express
sion of opinion from the commission,
I today had talk with E. E. Clark,
one of its members. In answer to the
question, ''What can the legislatures
Of Minnesota, the Dakotas and Mon
tana do this winter to help the inter-
state commerce commission relieve the
ear shortage situation?' Mr.. Clark re-
piled:
estate legislatures ought not to do
anything Ny fear is that any indie
pendent action on the part of state au-
thorities will only make a very bad
situation worse. Even congress can
give no help which will be effective in
time to relieve the present crisis.
"In my opinion, the thing to- do now
Is to leave the commission to handle
the case as best it can under its pres
ent authority. We can use moral sua7
sion with the railroads, and we are
doing that. --. -
Remedy Lies with Congress.
$50 far as the future is concerned,
believe that steps will be taken to
prevent a recurrence of the shortage
trouble. The remedy, as I see it, rests
primarily with congress, and not with
state legislatures. [ have advised con
gressmen in formal hearings only re
Gently that broader legislation may
we'll be enacted to give the commission
a more comprehensive grasp. I have
told them that law should be made
giving, the commission pretty thoro
control of the conditions under which
freight cars may be used. Such Iegis-
lation should provide that the commits
sion may make rules covering the dis
tribution by the railroads of cars to-
shippers, and covering also the obhga-
tions which the shippers shall be under
IN their use of cars thus furnished.
The legislation should give the commits
sion power to regulate demurrage
charges.
'tThat there are too few cars for the
needs of the country cannot be .ques-
toned. , But that is not the entire
cause of the difficulty. The shippers
themselves, the very men who are max
ing the most stir about the car short
age, contribute to it in no small degree.
A more prompt unloading of cars would
help greatly .-..... .a..m.--.-
Representative Marshall of North
Dakota, who went home, to help the
commission gather evidence for the
Minneapolis hearing, favors recipro-
cal demurrage bill, and will probably
be ready to introduce one after the hol-
iday recess. He had this in mind before
going west, as was noted in this cor
respondesne,ee. Mr.: Marshall is making j :.
study of the entire question, and the
? bill which he will offer will be entitled
to a respectful hearing. .,-:..,>
North Dakota Senators Get Busy.
While Mr.. Marshall has been doing
good work at home for the past ten
days, Senators Hansbrough and Nc
Cumber, more especially the former,
have been keeping the issues aliye in
Washington. Mr.. Hansbrough has been
devoting his entire time to it for more
than week, and has been in almost
daily consultation with the president,
who is relying on him for practical sug-
gestions. There will also be a Hans
days. 1t is possible that Mr.. .McCum-
Der may also introduce a bill, as also
one or both Of the senators from South
Dakota. The interest Of the southwest,
and of the far northwest, has been
stimulated in the shortage question,
and bills from those quarters may be
expected. Altogether, it is very likely
that more than a dozen bills, all look
ing in the same direction, will be be-
fore congress early in January, and
that out of the multitude of sugges-
tons they will contain, something will
be found which will pass both houses.
In the meantime it is the intention
of the Interstate commerce commission
to make formal~report of the condi-
tions as disclosed thru the hearings in
Minneapolis, Chicago, st, Louis, Kan
sas City and Pacific coast points, and
should that report seem to justify a
stirring message from the president,
such a message will be Forthcoming. In
dent may not wait for the commits
sion's formal-Teport, but will send in
his message early in January, impelled
to that course by the fact that con-
gress will adjourn early in March, and
therefore will net have great deal of
. time ct it's disposal. =
All of the suggestions thus far made,
/ whether by republican members of the
/ two houses from northern states, or by
democratic members from the south
and the southwest, contemplate fur
Their increase of the federal authority
by amending the railroad rate law,
thus demonstrating again, if further
demonstration is needed, that public
opinion will not long halt to consider
the old doctrine of States rights when
centralized power will give needed re-
lief. The utter inability of the states,
acting, thru their legislatures, to rem.
edy the car shortage evil, is every
where admitted and is the keynote of
the interview with Commissioner Clark,
with which this article begins.
. f.