The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1906-03-28
DEFECT Is In
The RATE BILL
M'CUMBER DISSEcTS
THE PENDING MEASURE
Relief VIII Not Be Found Until the
Corporations That Control the Rail-
roads Can BE Properly Controlled
Want Trust Law.

s washington, EIa Gu 3o.---JeildtoL Ny NJ
Curiber addressed the senate on the
rate bill late yesterday afternoon He
had read a resolution, offered several
weeks ago, setting forth a number OF
subjects that should be provided for by
amendments to the bill. These included
terminal charges OF all kinds, private
car line charges and many other sub
iects not covered by the bill.
He referred to the popular demand
for the passage of the pending bill and.
contended that when il becomes a law
The people will not find in it all that
Z they expect. He pointed out defects.
/ in The bill. saying that an effort TO tlxs
rates would not result entirely to the.
I disadvantage of the corporations or to
the advantage Of the public; hence the,
lack of opposition on the part Of the
4 big companies. He traced the popular
dissatisfaction to a worldwide restless
ness and not 10 the marrow held OF
1 the fixing of railroad rates.
sIt IS contest between the individual
and the corporation, he said. ne IN
diyidual sees opportunity cut Oft III all
directions and there can be no wonder
I that he is restless.
The general aninosity IS directed at
the railroads most especially, he said,
because they are more in evidence than
other corporations. He did not believe
that relief would be secured until way
was found to control the corporations
that control the railroads. OF what avail
IS it. he asked, TO reduce rates on beet
FIVE per cent il the beef trust gets the
benefit of the reduction? What we want
is law that will break each Of the
trusts into thousand pieces and then
another that will prevent the pieces
from getting together again.
''If,S he said, the people generally
count ON great relief by the transfer
Of the rate making power from the hands
of the railroad men, where it properly
belongs, to the hands of political board,
thev will find that the senator from
South Carolina was singularly inspired
\ when he spoke of it as farce, as he did
before he assumed the role OF stepfath-
& er to it.
He said that the public was asking for
the enforcement Of the existing law
4 rather than the enactment OF new law
sstAn editor has uncovered a number
Of cases Of rebates in the sugar trust,
he said. and surely the attorney general
with his experts and assistants can dc
as much as an individual
He spoke of the rebate system as II.
tolerablc and the private car system as
ever, worse. He said that a private
car will earn $75o year or rs per cent ], l
whereas il should not earn more thar
$40. The difference is equivalent t.
4 rebate iii behalf oil the car owners
He would have the railroads diyorct
y themselves from outside companies
way Of the bill. Mr. McCunber said HI
was less concerned on account Of then
than on account Of the policy of enter
ing upon such legislation at all. He con
sidered il an approach toward paternal
ism, the abode Of buried hopes, destroy
ed ambition and surrendered asplra
tons.
Mr. McCumber traced TO the railroad
the development of the interior Of ia
country He said in reply to Ia Dues
ton from MI. Beveridee that he xpect
& ed ito vote for the pending bill. but ex
pressed the opinion that II should b
4 amended He said that the rigid en-
So forcement OF the existing law Woul
have prevented the development OF tll
& west
He gave it as his opinion that tile pas
sage of the proposed law would 2bse
luteIy prevent competition between n
val lines because in effect it aillornte
TO pooling. IT would practically hay
the effect Of putting all competing road
under one management !" The pfoposl
lion not only legalizes, but imposes poo
ing, he declared.
Mr. McCunber declared his deter
inii1ation to vote his own sentiments rt