The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-12
LODGE FOR IT.
Massachusetts Senator Supports
Railroad Rate Bill
In a Speech on the Floor of the
Senate.
REBATES THE WORST
OF All the Evils Complained of
He Declares.
Must Do Something to Avoid
Government Ownership.
1BATES THE WORST

Washington. Feb. 12.-For the first
time in two weeks Mr.. Hepburn was in
his seat when the senate was called to
| order today. His absence has been due
to an attackof appendicitis from which
he has almost recovered.
Mr.. Lodge announced his support of
legislation for the control of railroad
rates along the lines of the Esch-Towns-
end bill of last session and said that
he believed the practice of giving re-
bates to be the most serious of all the
evils complained of. He expressed the
| conviction that only by legislation along
the lines suggested could government
ownership be prevented. He said that
before entering upon the investigation
of the question he had disposed of his
railway interests in order that his in
quiry might be free from bias.
He expressed the opinion that the rate
question is second only as an economical
problem to the financial question and
one of the most important before con-
gress. All were agreed, he said, as to
what we as a people desire to do, but
the differences arise over the method of
proceeding. He was convinced that
there are evils to be remedied IN con-
nection with the transportation railway
situation but the problem consisted in
finding of a fair and Just means of deal
ing with them.
He passed over as an established fact
the right of congress to legislate for the
regulation of the railways. The griev-
ances against the roads ne divided into
| three classes as follows:
Rebates, or discrimination between
: persons; excessive rates; discrimination
r between localities.
Quotes Figures.
He quoted statistics in an effort to
, show that freight rates are lower in the
United States than in any other country
) and concluded that if no other griev-
= ances We're presented there would be no
cause for legislation and that in the
matter of discrimination between Iocali-
: ties It is very difficult to interfere in
behan OF one place without doing Ia
: justice to others, but that the only way
to accomplish anything is for the gov
ernment to assume supervision of rate
making. He confessed the difficulty in
dealing with the problems and said the
fixing of rates by the government would
not cure the evil and concluded that
could only be effected by a provision for
the punishment of those who violate the
law by giving rebates Regarding re-
bates he said:
THE rebates have been a wrong
and injustice to the people and seri-
Gus injury to the railways themselves
I don't think that it would be possible
to pass legislation too drastic for the
| purpose of stopping these discrimina-
tiOns between persons. We have a
law now upon the statute books which
l so far as prohibition can go, ought to
be sufficient. It undoubtedly has
: largely checked rebates, but it has not
stopped them entirely. To make the
law thoroughly efficient we ought to
add, in my judgment, three provisions.
t We should restore the former penalties
t of the interstate commerce law
t which should not have been repealed
and make these secret evasions of
I the published rates punishable by inn
prisonment. The men who perpetrat te
these evasions in defiance Of the laws
s suffer but little by fine, even if it be
a heavy one. Their resources are too
large to make a money penalty a seri-
Gus one. For this very reason they are
persons who would feel acutely a pun
ishment by imprisonment and that
7 penalty ought to be provided IN any
law which we pass
Matter of Life and Death.
Mr.. Lodge combatted the idea that
1 the railroads are owned by a few men
: and that they are inimical to and in
t dependent of all other interests. He
: I'VE all want to see the settled and
esta blished sections of the country
t thrive, but to the railroads the well
s being of such places is matter OF
1 life and death. A sudden and i'll con-
sidered revolution in our methods OF
railroad management would bring on
a business panic reduce wages and
t probably carry disaster to our trade
!, and commerce in a degree which it is
- impossible to estimate"
t For those reasons he added, we
f / should proceed with the utmost care in
] railroad legislation and continued:
- Eve should have proper. legislation
in regard to the railroads; there should
s be government supervision and regula-
ton. We should stop the intolerable
abuse of rebates or Determinations
4 between persons, because If We do not
z we may find ourselves preclpltated into
o that worst of all disasters, government
2 / ownership. But 1t is equally essential
| that the legislation we undertake
should not itself lead to government
ownership, the dangerous pitfaH we
are seeking to avoid. 1t IS vital thai
this legislation should succeed but II
can only succeed by being effective
y against the evils which it can cure
while it proceeds with the utmost care
in those directions, where experience
has shown that some of the remedies
+ now proposed have introduced evils faI
: more unbearable and far more lnJurl-
IS Gus than those which it was sought to
= remedy.
Pointing out possible dangers to the
e proposed legislation, he said the frs
of these is found in the possibility OF
l. failing to provide an effective remedy
{, against personal Determinations
+ THAT which is to be feared as tc
e rebates he said. @is that the law viii
g not go far enough and will not be IN
3; telligently effective"
= He suggested that the power dele
II gated to commission should not &C
r. beyond that of fixing maximum rate
on freight.
Mr.. Lodge expressed the opinion
that there should be ample revision fol
r review of the findings of the commis-
n sion by the courts.
V The white wings" want an in
Y crease in their wages. They will sub
e nit a written communication to th'
city council asking for stated month