The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-03
SMITH OPPOSES
RATE REGULATION !. J | [:
President OF National Association
j. 81 Railway Commissioners
Delivers Address.
PROTECTION OF HUMAN y N N LIFE IF
Thinks Steps Sl,ou1d Be Taken to
Insurc This and to Pre-
vent Rebates.
ri, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

49, (SDncu1 TO Tho a'Iln1cB" lCIl.) g,t-.
3 WASHINGTON, April Eat the open.
IND session OF tho convention Of tho Ma
tlunnl3 Association Of Railway Commits
sioncrs here o-day. the time wass given
nycr 10 tho annual address Of the prcs,-
dent. ~. e.. smith, Of Sturgis, s. d., VINO
n n. member of the railroad commission
or his state. The address. which was
ably and carefully prepared, caused
sensation. for President Smith duestiohed
the wisdom of granting TO the interstate
\ Commerce Commission tho power to TX
railroad rates. He favored tho strength
ening by Congress Of the laws against
rcbntes aud unjust DETERMINATIONS as
n cure for transportation Ills. and urged
that Tho railroads be compelled TO take
steps for the better protection OF human
life.
ut has been claimed by Mr.. u. r.
4 Bacon and many others said President
Smith, in the cOursetof his speech, that
the interstate commerce luw Intended 10
give to the commission the power 20
mako rates, that the power was cxer-
cised By the commission and obeyed By
the roads for ten years With very benc-
& fetal results. This seems to me to be
far from the truth. ana has been used,
perhaps, to bolster up and create q public
demand for tho rnte-mnkinE power, and
In this way TO help along the present agl-.
tation.'
Il Reviews Conditions.
MIR. Smith then undertook M exhaus-
tive cxplana ton OF the Interstate COM
mcrcc law and the work of.the commits
il sion under TINT statute. Between Jan
nary. 1900. and January, 1905, lie de-.
SsclaHed that only thirteen cases in which
Excessive rates wcrc charged came be-
fore the commission. In every case OK
Jof, 49, rat oil n
III commissions order. Mr. Smith declared
the railroads had complied viii, the In
tcrstate Commerce Commissions order,
and added: s
...As has been shown, these results
were all that wee Intended when the law
wns passed.
The speaker held that in 4 country Eilch
as the United states. where the trans
portaton Is subject to sucl, 4 variety
Is OF circumstances, the fixing OF rates
would be an undertaking, practically si.-
pcrhuman. He conceded In the compact
countries Of Europe such an undertake
4, ing ln:~ht DO OF benefit, although he de-
Z MED that this had been proved. Flo,
contended that through natural condl-5
tions tariff charges are bound to be adj
t,isted. not only relatively, but actually.
( by the constant pressure Of commercial.
and economic principles.
One great danger In government rate
making. az seen by Mr.. Smith, lies in tho
FACT that tariffs. more or less, must be
fixed hy political commission on the
basis OF distance He declared that In
nearly every state in the Union where
the rate-makipg power is: Sestcd in y
commission the tendency has been TO
Il place all Interstate commerce on n Dis
lance mileage basis.
Preferential Commodity.
4 =
West. particularly" he said, 'bcIng In
d spnrscly settled country. arc very
3 much Interested in the preferential COM
modify rate az the developer OF our
country and are naturally opposed to
the distance tariff principle when ap-
piled 10 all freight rates We are thou-
sands Of miles from either coast and so
sparsely settled that wc2scannot begin
to use up our own products We are
TOO far from any of the large cities to
supply them With our surplus. If q fixed,
per- ton-p cr-me rate is established.
There is nothing that We raise tina:
cannot be raised in the Far East or the
Far West Unless we have tariffs that
will allow us 10 place our products where
we will, at prices which are competitive
with those raised nearer by. we are me-
ccssarly shut out from the many mar
kcts we now enjoy.
II believe it is generally conceded that
rates III America. are very 1nuCn lower
than they are anywhere else In the world
that the transportation facilities are bet
s teri than anywhere else In the world:4 and
that any commission could improve this
condition by merely establishing rates Is,
4 TO say the least, doubt full.
4 A number Of Represen tntves and Sem
ntors were present at the meeting to-
E day and listened carefully to President
Smiths remarks. The meetings will CON
tinue several days, and n number or other
jccts.