The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-30
GOOD FOR ALL.
Congressman Townsend Opens
Debate on Rate Bill.
Says Railroads as Well as Public
VIII Be Benefited.
HE WARNS HIS PARTY
That the Peoples Demands Can
not Be Trifled With.
TempOrizing He Declares Means
Only Disaster.
HE WARNS HIS PARTY

/ Washington, Jan 30.-Opening what
promises to be a weeks discussion on
the railroad rate bill Mr.. Townsend of
Michigan, addressed the house for more
than an hour today. touching on and
/ calculating practically every phase of
the rate making problem, and describ-
ing in detail the terms of the Hepburn
| bill
/ Regarding the question as one of the
most important ever before congress,
/ MIR. Townsend advocated the bill as the
| correct remedy for the evils which exist
and predicted that notwithstanding the
protests of the roads, greater prosperity
4 would come to them under its provisions
| than otherwise. To substantiate this,
/ ne called attention to the tremendous
4 Strldes of a year in the Transportation
! business, and this in the face of the leg
1slation which the last congress initia-
ted and which the present congress is
taking up in somewhat more strenuous
form.
Like the bill of last year. which bore
/ Mr.. Townsend's name, he said the ures-
ent one was the very least the people
/ would accept, yet the present bill con-
! ferS wider powers and extends over av-
/ cry facility of transportation. How
/ ever, the present bill, he believed was
4 not only fully within the constitutional
] powers of congress, but was simply an
expression of the plain duty of congress
to the American people.
In brief the bill attempts, he said, to
4 place under the supervision of the in
+ tersfate commerce commission. every
1 form of interstate and foreign commerce
/ and all instrumentalities of commerce
and transportation.
The most serious complaints on the
! part of shippers, he said have been di-
rected against special services. such as
/ private cars, icing, elevator and termi-
nal charges, and the like. Mr. Town
send believes the bill affords a complete
remedy for all of these evils. as here
after every such charge must be just
+ and reasonable, and in case it is not
the commission has power to make it
SO.
The Midnight Rate
The evil of the srnfdnieht rate was
described and the remedy set forth, re-
during so days notice of a change OF
rate Briefly the midnight rate" is
advice whereby a large shipper notifies
a road that on a certain date large
the published tariff is changed for a
day, the shipment made at the lower
/ rate and the tariff Immediately raised.
The main feature of the bill, bearing on
the point about which the greatest con-
troversy has been had and the one
Which Mr.. Townsend believes at the
foundation of the whole question is that
winch gives the commission power upon
complaint, and after full hearing, to
substitute a reasonable maximum RAJ
J IN place Of one found to be unjust or
unreasonable. Mr. Townsend went at
length into this phase of the proposed
legisla tion. Tt was the principal against
( which the weight of the opposition had
been directed, he explained and this pro
j position had been based alike on the
questioned constitutionality, the inpos-
/ sibility for the commission to find a
| just rate and the injury such a finding
| would entail alike on business, the rail-
roads and the widowed and orphaned
/ shareholders.
In the broader view of the question
and in the correct conclusion on any of
these phases, he saw but one answer
that to require the railroads to be just
and reasonable could not harm anyone
while it would benefit all.
As showing how deep were the fears
of the railroad world, he stated, 1900
miles of road had been built during
the past year in the United States and
up to June so, orders for more than
s200.0O0,000 worth of railroad equip
ment had been placed.
While the number of commissioners
is increased by two and their salaries
raised to $4,000 a year, Mr.. Town
send expressed the belief that when
the law was once esta blished the du-
ties of the commission would decrease
rather than increase. The railroads,
he suggested, would doubtless realize
the business of the law and fix their
rates with reference to it. He realized
fully the great power that was con-
ferred upon the commission and be-
lieved the higher salary only an ade-
quate compensation for men of the
character needed.
Publicity a Factor.
The wide publicity of railroad affairs
required in the bill was in his opinion
a potent factor for good. The pro-
visions expediting the business Of the
commission and the cases in the courts
growing out of the operation of the
law he regarded as vital The courts
are to pass simply on the validity of
4Ar 4 -
] supreme court will be on the question
as to whether a given rate fixed by the
4 commission is or is not connscatOry.
While Mr.. Townsend regarded the
question as in no sense political he ex-
pressed himself as pleased that the Re-
publican party has taken it up He
arraigned the means employed by the
H opposition to prevent rate legislation.
ITO me it has seemed, he said, that
q systematic effort has been made to
discredit the administration in various
matters in order to direct attention
from this great question and have no
doubt that delay will be caused wher-
| ever possible in the vain nope that
something will yet happen to prevent
final action. As one of the younger
and most humble Republicans IN the
house let me admonlsh my party as
/ soci9fes in both houses that this QueS-
tiou viii not down nor will it much
longer brook delay. The people have
spoken and every day to US their de-
mand is more imperative. 1he DAY OF
grace may be passed and the uHpaf-
donable sin of trif1ing with duty may
not be condoned even with deathbed
repentance
ssTernporizing viii bring nothing
but disaster. Already we hear the
rim lolings of discomfort: socialism
smiles with satisfaction with every de-
lav. Every regulation of pubic
servant is not q departure from the
principles of popular government, bui
| lss-.-o-rar.d. Of rirI1faaus law and tnQlf-