West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-01-25
Regular Correspondent OF The Argus i.

WASHINGTON, Jan. az, 1900. -
The National Board OF Trade,
now holding its session in Washing
ton, has gone on record as favoring
railway rate legislation. This act.
ion is not overwhelmingly important
from political point of view, as
members of congress seldom see
and more seldom read the resoluti-
ons sent them even by important
national conventions. But it shows
the insistent demand of the people
who suffer most at the hands of the
railroads from remedial legislation,
and 1t is an indication that il Con.
gress dose take the message of the
President in the spirit il was ment
and pass law that is at least a step
in the right direction, the people
will take measures to install repre-.
sentatives who will. No one imag-
ines whatever rate bill is passed this
session that it will be very drastic
measure. Leaders both in the Hous
and Senate still think that they can
dodge the issue with compromise
measure of some sort. But there is
one thing that will be demanded by
the public and that is that the bill
by whatever name it goes, shall be
step morally in the right direction.
The ultimate and logical outcome
will be some such measure as that
OF Senator Newlands which will re-
strict dividends and allow unlimited
merging, thus removing railroads
from politics, granting their stock.
holders fair return on Their money
and eliminating The political element
more efectually even than if the
roads were under direct federal con
troll
The passage of the Payne Philip.
pine Tariff Bill demonstrates again.
If demonstration were necessary,
the power of the party wish to hold
down political insurrection. The
inclusion of rice in the list of com.
modities the benefit of the reduced
DingleY rates was sop TO the SOU
tn that they might have been more
esteemed if the Philippines raised
rice enough for their own consumpt.
ion, which they do NOT, having to
import large percentage annually
from Japan. The prospect Of free
trade after 1909 will not have the
slightest effect in allaying the thirst
for autonomy in the breast OF the
average Filipino agltator. "The
little brown brother" may or he may
not be ft for self government. But
he thinks he is and if he has to have
outside domination would frankly
rather have it from this country.
AS a step in the direction OF tree
trade, the bill was a false alarm that
would deceive no legitimate free
trade, and as member of political
expediency, it will do little toward
relieving this country of the"1reland
in the ORIENT" that it will have on
its hands for generations to come.
Panama Canal Commission has at
lasi reached the point Of confessing
that the canal will in all probability
have to be built by a contractor.
This is an admission Of the impossi.
bility Of digging a canal at long
range from Washington. II IS
conclusion that would have been
accepted as matter Of course had
the work been turned over in the
first place TO the Engineer Corps,
and II one can Judge from the work
that the Army engineeres have bone
by contract in the past and the work
that the canal commission has not
done up to date, the chances arc
that the digging would have pro.
gressed good deal faster and the
cost would not have be Sd great had
the government in the first place
utilized its own engineers instead Of
a highly paid s:af OF experts with
an active press agent who seems able
to do everything except get waters
Of the Atlantic and the Pacific mix.
ed up in the region Of Central
America
The State Democrat was allowed
to hand out a statement this week
in the form Of cablegram from
! cOmptrollcr Calton saving that The