The Washington times., 1906-04-24
HEPBURN RATE BILL
MERELY A STARTER
Temporizes With Question,
Mr.. POu Declares.
THE ISSUE IN NEXT CAMPAIGN
North Carolina Congressman Warmly
Supports Senator La Follette's View
of Railway Legislation

Senator la Forette's view that the
Hepburn bill is only a beginning for
proper Governmental supervision OF the
railroads is strongly indorsed by Repre-
sentative Pou of North Carolina.
The railroad rate bill, which has
passed the House and is now being con-
sidered by the Senate. merely temporlzes
with a great question: is a fair brief
or the opinion Mr.. Pou expressed yester-
day 1T may serve To postpone the day
when Congress will be forced 10 settle
the question outright, but 1t win not
postpone IL long.
Even ii the Senate shall pass the
Hepburn bill as il went from the House.
such action will not prevent the rate
question from being the paramount
issue in the next campaign IL the In
terState Commerce Commission or any
other egency established By Congress
can be given the power TO fix one rate,
then such "A commission can be given
the power 10 fix all rates. And the peO-
pie OF this country viii certainly de-
mand that this power be conferred upon
some other similar agency.
Injustice to Small Farmers.
Consider the situation of farmer. I
viii say. living in my district There
are very few large farmers II. the South
1t is by no means an unhealthy condi-
tion- There has been a radical change.
Immense estates survived the war in bur
few instances. Thousands OF men who
were renters and croppers forty. thirty.
twenty, and even ten years ago today
are the owners Of small farms
Now, take the case of the small
farmer. Can he afford to go before the
commission and attack the freight rate
he is forced 10 pay on what he buys or
what he sells? OF course not. Can he
afford to wage contest against n great
corporation before the commission and
before the courts TO secure a reduction
of . or 10 cents a bale on the cotton lie
ships, or a reduction of 10 or 20 cents
a ton on the fertilizers he uses? Ger
tainly not.
But the man who raises one bale of
cotton is just as much entitled to pro
lection against unjust freight rates rs
the wholesale merchant. who pays
freight IN whole train loads of goods
bought or sold. Yet the Hepburn bill
affords. practically speaking, no protec-
ton at all TO this man who raises but
a few bales OF cotton or a few bushels
of wheat or corn.
The railroads of the United States
have practically formed themselves into
one great trust, but so far as the
average shipper is concerned every rail-
road is a monopoly anyway. Where he
must ship over one road or not ship at
all, of course. he is at the mercy of that
road Where he has the privilege OF
shipping over more than one road he Is
always confronted by traffic arrange
mont and can get no better rate from
one road than from the other
Entitled to Protection.
Now. where the citizen Is forced to
deal with a corporation upon which the
State has conferred part OF its SOW
creignty. the citizen should have the
guaranty Of the State that he is dealt
with fairly, and he is entitled TO this
fair treatment whether he asks for It or
not.
4 made some observations along this
line on the floor of the House when
we were considering the Hepburn bill
but what did the debate I'm the House
accomplish? Nothing-absolutely moth
ing The bill was put through the House
automatically. just as it came from the
committee. and while everybody admit
ted that the bill was imperfect all
amendments were voted down.
I'VE had Just as well make uD our
minds 10 face the real issue The people
are thinking and watching II the rail-
roads are determined to stihe Competi-
tion, then they may expect 10 see ample
power conferred upon some agency to
supervise, adjust, limit, and reduce all
freight and passenger charges. In my