Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1906-01-04
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON
Washington, December 80.


Washington, December 80.
The names of two Iowa men will be
attached to the railroad rate regu-
lation bill that passes congress. Sen.
ator Delivers measure is now ac-
cepted as the most accurate express
sion Of the administrations policy
and Is commonly called the admins
tration bill. Congressman Hepburn,
chairman of the house committee on
interstate commerce, is we'll pleased
with the Dolliver measure and his,
relations to the legislation are likely
to give him opportunity to divide with
the senator the honor of naming the
proposed law. BY devoted friends
Of effective legislation the Dolliver
measure is regarded as the best thus
far proposed.
Much significance is attached here
to the fact that the Nebraska delega-
ton has fatty announced that 1t will
vote for the Payne bin reducing
duties on tobacco and sugar imported
from the Philippines to 25 per cent Of
the Dingley rates, and wiping out
the duties on other Philippine pro-
ducts. AS Nebraska in one of the
leading beet sugar states, it was ex.
pected that the opponents of the
Payne measure would get some
strength from that state. 1t is now
regarded as assured that the bill win
pass the house, although desperate
effort will be made to beat it in the
senate.
The early announcement Of an
agreement between this country and
Germany whereby the threatened
tariff war will be averted is expected,
1t was said in a recent dispatch that
some hope existed of mutual conces
sions that would avoid the promised
tariff trouble with the German EN-
pire. Matters have gone far enough
so that a tentative agreement has
been outlined as the result Of confer 1,
enCes of Secretary Root with Ambas G
sador Sternbourg, head of the German
embassy here, Secretary Shaw and
others. Secretary Root has found
that the senate will not ratify a new
trade treaty with Germany, and on
the other hand Germany does not
want, despite her threats, to engage
In tariff war with America. If pres
ent plans are carried through, Ger
many will not impose new higher
duties on American goods after
March /, as she threatened to do. In
return, the consuls abroad win be re
quested to exercise more care in fix!
ing the market value of imports. Sec:
rotary Shaw will also recommend I'd
congress that more lenient law be-
passed as to imposing penalties for
the differentiation of goods. Now
any differentiation means a cores
ponding penalty.
Strong protestatiops OF sincerity
we're made by representatives of the
railroads west of Chicago when they
called upon the interstate commerce
commission few days ago and pre-
sented the resolution adopted at Chi
cago declaring the purpose of the rail-
roads to cooperate with the commits
sion in the enforcement Of the laws
against rebates and other unlawful
practices. The interstate commerce
commission, in statement given out
the same day, announced that while
the conference with the western rail-
way officials was unsought by the
commission its purpose was leglti-
mate and commendable and warrants
the expectation of effectual results
The commission announces that IL
has no reason to doubt the sincerity
Of the western railroad officials, but
says that the proposed cooperation
probably will not result in the dis
continuance Of the unlawful practices.
1t is recalled by members of the com,
nilsson that the railroads have under
taken before to stop the granting OF
rebates, and have at times even gone
so far as to organize a bureau, but
the efforts have never been comDlete.
ly successful, and soon have ceased.
The activity Of the ATTORNEY Cen.
e"al in directing district attorneys to
prosecute railroad officials for viola.
tions of the laws and the fact that
many indictments have been found
and number soon will be returned
is ascribed in administration circles
as the cause of the decision of the
railroads to stop granting rebates.
President Roosevelt is telling .all
callers that he wants effective rate
legislation, and that he does not pro-
pose to accept compromise. Many
members of congress are receiving
letters from their constituents, pro-
testing against any compromise. The
president has let it be known that he
wants no compromise power, but ia.
vors effective legislation that win
give the interstate commerce commits
sion power to control rates. He sane.
tons the bill introdced by Senator
Dolliver, and believes that 1t would go
far to correct present evils. He re-
CARDS 1t as a practical solution of the.
present situation, and believes that
while 1t may have some defects, these
would easily be corrected by sue
ceeding legislative bodies. The prin,
cipal purpose Of the president is to
get into the law the idea of the con.
troll Of rates by a governm> at COM
mission. After that such Iencments
can be made to the law as to make It
effective in all particulars.
No one IA uealpSa fn fhio world xubA