Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-01-30
From Washington.
Correspondence Of the Alexandria Gazette
Washington. Jan. 30.

/ NlOTTttDODututC VI VIC
Washington, Jan. 80.
The most important of the ten sections
of the Hepburn railroad rate bill, con
sideration of which was begun in thu
House today. and which will, after ful
deb-te. be brought 10 a vote weei
from today, is section fOar, which con
fers the power on the Interstate Com
merce Commission to establish a jus
and reasonable and fairly remunerativ'
rate or rates, charge or charges, to b'
thereafter observed in such case as the
maximum to be charged" The powel
to initiate rates is mot given. The sec
ton governing this power reads al
follows;
"That the commission is authorized anC
empowered, and il shall be its duty when
ever. after full hearing upon complaint
made or npon complaint of any common ear
rier. il shall be Of the opinion that any OF The
rates or charges whatsoever, demanded
charged or collected by any common carrier
or carriers, subject TO provisions OF this act
for the transportation of persons or. property
as defined in the first section Of this act, o.
| IIldl dIN IekuihtlOnb VI pioteiNto "AoDN'
of such carrier or carriers affecting such
rates are unjust or unreasonable, or unJustly
discriminatory, or unduly preferential oil
| preiudicial or otherwise, in violation OF any
! of the provisions of this act. to determine and
| prescribe what will, in its judgment, be the
| lust and reasonable and fairly remunerativt
rate or rates, charge or charges, TO be there
after observed in such case as the maximum
to be charged; and what regulation or prac'
/ - =. 10 ,crfo finn 10 tuQf
| fair. and reasonable to be thereafter followed;
and TO make an order that the carrier shall
cease and desist fiom such violation. to the
| extent to which the commission find the same
10 exist, and shall not thereafter pub ish, de-
/ mand or collect any r te or charge for such
| TRANSPORTATION in excess of the maximum rate
or charge so prescribed, and shall conform Ia
the regulation or practice so prescribed.
Section 10 repeats all laws in conflict
with the provisions of this act, such re-
peal not to interfere, however with
causes now pending.
The Pacific Mail Steamship Company
is likely to get into trouble because OF
it's deliberate refusal to handle freight
consigned to ii over the Panama Rail-
road, thereby Occasioning II congestion
which has seriously embarrassed the
canal work on the Isthmus, Congress
will be asked TO adopt legislation either
to penslize the steamship company under
the coastwise laws; authorize the es-
Enlistment of a government line Of
steamships between San FRANCISCO and
Panama; or offer inducements to other
private companies to compete. In the
course of Secretary Tsfl's secret testi-
mony before the Senate committee in
ves,igating Panama canal affairs, which
has Just been made public, he described
the congestion of freight at Panama, and
said that the question as to what should
be done about it was presenting itself
TO the government With considerable
force
President Roosevelt did not loose any
time in directing the Interstate Com
merce Commission TO report to him for
the purpose OF forwarding to the House
of Representatives any information it
might have in regard to the existence Of
the alleged Pennsylvania merger of rail-
roads. By 1890 this morning the resO-
luton had reached the commission and
Chairman Knapp at once called con-
ference TO discuss the forthcoming re-
port. The only data available, outside
of facts of public knowledge, is contain
ed in the confidential annual reports OF
the railroads, submitted 10 the commis-
sion in accordance with the interstate
commerce act. No penalty can be
imposed if these reports are not
submitted, but by diplomatic hand
ling, with rare exceptions, every rail-
road has submitted its annual report.
Ii is believed that the facts contained in
the reports are correct statements of ex-
listing conditions. But the fact that the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company has
mere minority holding will not be taken
as proof that it does not control the
other roads mentioned in the resolution.
In the Investigations of the Interstate
Commerce Commission, it has been no.
ticed that companies at times Intentional
" purchased less than controlling in
terest. 1t il intimated that they depend
upon the holdings of individuals inter-
esled in the principal company TO CO.
operate with the company 10 controlling
the subsidiary companies. In this way
violations of the law are avoided. Ii
has become matter Of public know
ledge at hearings that the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company owns most of the
stock of the Pennsylvania Company,
which controls the Pennsylvania lines
west of Pittsburg.
General Wheeler's old comrades at
arms, the veterans OF Camp A., Wheeler's
Cavalry, from Atlanta, forty strong, in
command of Col. 4. Ii. Jones, marched
up TO the White House Office building
this morning to shake hands with Presi-
dent Roosevelt. The President shook
hands with each and stopped the line
every moment or so to greet
this or that old soldier whom he had
met before, with more vigor than the
rest.
President Roosevelt's sister, Mrs.
Cowles, was the central figure of a rather
embarrassing incident on the House side