Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-01-30
The railroad Rate BIZ.

The Railroad Rate Bill.
Washington, ID. g., Jan. 30.--Start
ling charges were publicly made by Mr.
Charles f. Townsend today, in BIZ
speech in the House opening the debai,
ON The Hepburn railroad rate bill re-
ported unanimously by the committee
on interstate commerce. He declared
that the opposition had "endeavored t.
discredit the administration in variou.
matters in order to distract attention
from this great question" He predicted
that "delay will be caused wherever
possible, in the vain hope that something
will happen yet to prevent final action.
He spoke OF lobby, erich and power
.ul, of "unwarranted inlerferences with
the peoples rights" of the "dicIslion
of the nomination and election of legis
Iatures" by the corporations. He warn
ed them that to further oppose railroad
legislation might bring upon t5em "tbe
fate which an indignant people is aure
to visit upon the corporations who, be-
lieving that they are above and beyond
the law, seek to become law into them
selves"
Mr.. Townsend, with Mr.. Escb. WAS
the joint author of the railroad rate i'll
that passed the House last year. In a
long and carefully prepared speech, the
Michigan statesman went )ser the situa-
ton today. He spoke of the bill passed
by the House last year, "the advocates
OF which knew, or felt they knew, that
the requirements of the people would
never be less, and that delay would
simply increase The demand for more
radical railroad legislation"
This statement that the people would
demand more this year than they did
last, had been circulated by the carriers
and favored shippers, he said, with the
legislation ''lbat business interests had
been threatened and that disaster was
liable to follow"
"a year has passed." Mr.. Townsend
continued, "and yet business has not
been disturbed; rairoading has extended
lis operations, increased its mileage and
improved its facilities and equipment in
Pm almost unprecedented manner, thus
furnishing conclusive answer to the car
rier's own arguments.
To-day we offer new bill and | pre-
sent II To you nov, as | dill the one of last
year, with the statement that it is Prob
ably the least the people will accept.
1t conlers wider powers that its prede-
cessOr, TO- the reason that the demand
is for greater exercise of the govern
menps control over public carriers. 1t
may not remedy every defect in existing
laws to which every complaint has
called the Interstate Commerce Com
missions attention, but it is believed
that it will be sufficient to secure every
defect against which any considerable
objection is made.
"rhe committee, or at least a majority
of it, believes that this bill is not only
within the constitutional powers of Con-
gress, but that it is clearly an express
ion OF the duty of Congress to the Amer
can people"
He outlined at length the PROVISIONS
of the bill and spoke Of the gross Unjust
ice hat has been done the people of the
United States through special services,
such ~ the private and refrigerator car
lines. I'VE believe" he declared, "lhat
the bill effects q complete remedy for
these evils"
He criticized The means employed by
some of the opposition to rate legislation.
Mr.. Adamson, of Georgia who is in
charge of the debate on the railroad rate
question in the House on behalf of the
minority, made the opening speech for
the democrats following Mr. Townsend
At the outset he declared that he, for
one, chad never seen any reason To make
the subject of commerce partisan que
ton yet, unfortunately, matters affecting
our commerce in various ways have
divided the people of the country through
our entire history"
He cited democratic platform declara-
tions favoring railrC al rate REGULATE anu
referred to the silence on that snbject of
the republican declarations.
"But if the result of the las. election
was claimed by any body, as a victory,
against railroad regulation" he said,
"the President-elect, undoubtedly the
ablest as veil as the m =! honest and
fearless republican President we ever
had, promptly disabused their minds by
taxing promptly, perhaps, as advanced
p sition, 10 favor of our platform decla.
ration on the subject, as our own candi-
late would have done had he been
elected"
Mr.. Ada nsOn outlined the work done
IN the bill by the House committee,
aud showed how the suggestions OF the
democratic, looking to the Improvement
IF the Hepburn bill, "were promptly
accepted and gracefully appropriated"
BY the majority. "rhere was then
nothing obnoxious 10 the bill" he said.
'We had won that much" He express
ID the hope that the bill would be pass
ID without amendment, and in conclu
ion declared that he bad no sympathy |
With the prediction that the bill would
,e pigeon holed in the Senate.
Afer Pennsylvania Railroad.
II