Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-07-28
IS 4 VERY WEAK LAW
Lawysrs Say An Ox Team Can Be Driven Through the New Rail-
 road Freight Law
CONFERENCE COMING SOON

Washington, July 2S.-A spirited fight is likely to develop over the en- forcement of the provisions of the recently enacted railroad freight rate
 law. Eminent lawyers who have ex-
 amined carefully the law as it was
 passed declare that an ox-team can
 be driven through 1t and that before
 they get done with 1t the entire act
 will be punched full of holes.
 A conference Is to be held be-
 tween members of the interstate com
 merce commission and prominent
 railroad men in the near future
 which may determine the action of
 the railroad corporations. A conser-
 vative disposition Is manifested by
 many railroad officials who believe
 that 1t may be the part of wisdom
 for them to comply with the law as
 1t stands, rather than take chances
 on more drastic, law in the event of
 their success !n undoing in the courts to any extent the work performed by
 congress on the measure. Among
 both eastern and western railroad
 officials this conservatism is found.
 These men, like Charles s. Mellen, president of the New York, New Ha- ven & Hartford railroad, believe that the enforcement of a rate law Is in- evitable and that the railroads of the country might better adjust their business to the law as 1t stands now than to endeavor to upset the present law. They argue, with force. that If the law recently enacted is impaired in any essential feature by the action of the courts 1t will be question of only brief time until congress will enact a measure even more drastic than the existing law. The people. they point out, are determined that ,uch law shall be on the statute books and be enforced and the rail- road officials might as well make up their minds to 1t.
 A prominent official of a western railroad, who has given much time to a study of the new rate law anf the situation created by it, in dis cussing the situation with an off, cial of the department of justice. said he. was very glad the president had enforced the rate issue to the point of the enactment of the present law. as. If impartially enforced. the law would clean out of the ranks of both railroad officials and shippers a lot of pirates who had gotten the railroad freight business generally into serious mess.
 We want to do business honor- able and we want to treat our pat rons fairly and impartially. Under the present law we can do so and the pirates will have to do so. The law bears down hard on us. in spots. but our business can be adjusted to 1t without very serious difficulty. If we know that the other fellow has to do just as we do there will be no great trouble. Heretofore, we have been compelled to fight the devil with fire in order to make living; now the men who are dishonest from principle will be forced to be honest for fear of the consequences"
 This is not the attitude of all rail road officials. however. Many of them show fight. They are bent on attack ing the law and If they can make trouble for the government in en- forcing 1t they will do 1t. Much wi depend upon the action of the inter- state commerce commission in put ting the act into effect. If the com mission indicates to the railroads a to give them reasonable time to adjust their affairs to the provisions of the new law, there is a possibility that the railroad officials may meet the commission half wav and endeayor to arrange their busi- ness in accordance with the act. Con- in counsel may prevail; but sooner or later 1t is anticipated, the law will have to be construed by the courts. i,
 It Is regarded as quite likely that the interstate commerce commission will extend the time specified in the law for its provisions to take effect, n order that the carriers may not be seriously in an effort to adjust themselves to the new provis- | ons. Such an extension would be a ,op to the railroads that might be a great inducement to them to con- 'orm to the provisions of the law. trouble of a serious kind | almost surely will develop.