The Jersey City news., 1906-01-12
AT WASHINGTON
Rail Rate Regulation Once
More Under Discussion 10
the Senate
SENATOR KEAN SAYS LITTLE
sMooT CASE TO CoMB UP AND
MORE TESTIMONY TO BE TAX
EN- ENGLISH RAILROAD
METHODS.

" iaSIl1AN01O OAS. JdH- l., isfVO.--
Again the Senate has taken mp the rate
making question Elkins is still prenar-
ing his bill, which cannot be expected to
be anything but cunningly devised plan
for eyading the real issue Kean and the
other Senators usually reckoned as being
against the administration on the rate
question: are non-committal.
A Western paper recently quoted the
junior New Jersey Senator as having de-
nounced the President for being either
crazy or demagogue.
Il did not say that" declared Kean,
mildly, when asked about the matter.
$50 far as l can see, | think the rate
question is going along nicely
That's the attitude Of the average Sem
ator who does not declare himself for
giving to some responsible government
body real control in the making of rates.
There is undoubtedly the hope still buoy-
ant in many Senatorial minds that the
whole subject can be talked to a stand
still, and the session ended without ac-
ton, as was done last year. If Foraker,
Elkins and the other railroad lawyers
and representatives in the upper body of
Congress can so engineer it. that will
undoubtedly be the programme.
While the Republican majority will
unquestionably stand by the administra-
ton in the canal matter. finally. there
IS nc indication of any desire on the part
of the anti-adminstration Republicans to
shorten the long programme. of investigas
ton of canal expenditures to which that
body is now practically committed.
Another Seeding from the White
House." is the manner in which more
than enc Republican Senator refeGsl to
the sRresiaenFs canaEaiiiess &c s II Mon
day.
More testimony is to be taken in the
Smoot case, which probably means more
delay in getting down to any real legis-
lation. The idea seems to be, so far as
the Utah Senator is concerned, that the
committee is practically committed to an
adverse report, but wants something
more definite in the way of legal rea-
sons to back up the sentiment which viii
play so large share in the final de-
cision of the Mormon Senator's rights.
With the House programme stlE
threatened by the belligerant attitude of
the Statehood and Philippine tariff insur-
gents, and the Santo DOMINICAN treaty
and Moroccan matter furnishing legiti-
mate excuses for the Senate to spend
many. many long afternoons in eNeeu-
tive session, on the slightest pfoyocation,
and with the tariff revision sentiment in
both houses slowly but surely shaping it,
self into definite and determined mate
REALIZATION. the outlook FOR the Senate
getting at the main issue of railroad
rates before the robins return doesn' t
brighten any.
Railroad methods in regard TO discrirni-
nations do not seem to be vastly different
in England from those in this country, if
case just decided by the railroad COM
missioners in London is to be taken as a
fair Illustration of British rate-making
methods. There is in it a peculiar SINH
larity to the conditions complained of by
small American shippers and the British
railroads do not seem to have been far
behind the time, either, in ruses for
tangling the lay mind and finding logi-
cal excuses for illogical conditions.
Consul Hamm, of Hull, England,
writes of case brought by the National
Federation of Fruit and Potat5e Grow
ers against three railroads.&c. Great
Northern, Midland and Great EASTERN
which. by agreement, increased the rate
on. potatoes by cutting off rebate of
twenty-four cents a tor, which had been
allowed for seventeen years, the former
net rate from Lincolnshire having been
$1.96 a ton. The cutting off Of the re-
| bate brought the rate to s2.20 a ton for
four-ton loads. Later it was fixed at 81
for fve-ton loads.
The applicants for q reduction of the
rate contended that it was unreasonable,
and should be reduced to SLIP a ton for
four-ton loads. They also urged that, al
though there was no material difference
in the length Of haul or difficalty Of for
warding, they had been Disseminated
against by certain localities being given
drawback of fortySeight sents, others
twenty-four cents and some being given
no rebate.
| The Great Northern and Midland com
panies III their defense. s thas the re-
bate granted BY the conn was a
J.