Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-02-08

CoilAldei IL Il DanaCcl for al eNlIS IL
was Il most wholesome manifestation
OF q UNANIMOUS public determination TO
deal win the rate Evils. 1t was the only
means by which public ownership
could be stopped and checked, The MOS,
plausible argument Of the Socialist.
Cochran gave simple analysis of IA
vorltiSm and discrimination. FaVorit-
ism was always granted corruptiy.
Sir, he continued, 1.-The history of
| raiifoad management in this country is
the history Of favoritism, Of corruption
and "f fraud" In spite of this he would
not say the railroads had NOT rendered
enormous service but they had not been
| as efficient as they should be.
lie next declared that railway influ-
! ences rredominated both political par
| ties and that tire representatives OF
wealth ignored the courts and domi-
mated state administrations. The very
court which had dropped the proceed
| nSs against II. II. Rogers had the next
| day Issued a most vigorous injunction
against striking printers. He reviewed
| the Northern Securities decision, which
| he said, declared criminals and con-
| spirators those responsible for that
| combination. Hartman and Morgan, he
! said, quarreled over the control of sew
eral railways in the Northwest, which
| threatened to interfere with their
plumber. The President directed an ac-
| ton against them. The court declared
q conspiracy.
| What was the reSuit?" he asked. at
| was to reduce the control of those prop
critics from two to one. When they
came To distribute the stocks Hartman
| had been eliminated, Morgan was Su-
! prene. y llore perfect conspiracy was
| perfected through the decision Of the
| court itself And the stock which was
| selling at 500 to Sl02 when the decision
| vas pending. sold for $50 after it was
| announced. thus enriching the conspi
rators who walked out of court Just
s. 10 100000 richer fer having been con-
| victed."
| The fact that no criminal proceedings
had been begun was dwelt on and the
Jail sentence CT Debs and the conviction
of two senators for "mere indiscre-
| tons contrasted.
| Compliments were paid to Rockefel-
| Ter Eat once the richest and most de-
| snised of our whole population"
! re liiool ell VI lIle Dill.
he maintained. was the popular dispo-
! s;tion back of it, the next was its pub
| licty feature.
| Universal applause greeted Cockran's
| conclusion. Mann, Ills, then took the
floor.
| Terscly stating the need of the shipper
| for railroads, the need of railroads for
| the shippers and the difficulty of their
| coming to an equitable Understanding.
| Mann pointed out the necessity for IN
| intervening agency.
| THAT is the proposition in the pending
| measure" continued Mann. "It is pro-
posed TO give to the Interstate commerce
! commission to limited degree the rate
making power. This will not prevent tho
| carrier in the face Of competition from
| lowering its rates in order to saw its
sllar.. Of the business. TIE Hepburn Dol
liver bill row pending before lis in i'm
| mcasurably superior to the cid Nelson
| Corliss bill, the Cooper-Quarlcs bill or
| the ESch-Townsend bill OF the last ses-
| sion. Those bills proposed to give to the
! commission the general power to fix alb
| solute railroad rates which could not be
changed except upon fling i new pcti-
| ton and having 4 new hearing; before the
| commission.
| The bill permits the commission at any
| time, of its own volition, to change its
| order; 1T permits 4 re-hcaring of the case
| ut any time: it provides that the rate
| liked by the commission shall not be the
| absolute rates, but only the maximum
| rate, and it provides that this rate shall
! be compulsory only for III" term of three
| years. This will give the power to cor
| rect the evils which are complained of.
but will not give the power to confiscate
| the property invested in railroads, or to
paralyze the business interests of the
! country and prevent the location and es-
| Enlistment of new industries along the
lines OF the railroads.
| 1T vii! not give the commission the
power to determine difrrrrnti4ls, the pow
| cr to say who Their grain from the North
west shall ne shipped for export by way
| Of the ulf ports or the north Atlauti.
ports, the power to destroy the law OF
| competition. the power to ruin one city
| or one locality for the benefit of an
other city or another locality. Tie for
mer bills were intended to destroy rail
road competition. The pcrdns bill in
Vites competition and il preserves Al! the
competitive forces which tend to in
crease the economy Of transportation and
reduce the cost thereof
The railroad Officials fear thar il il;
dangerous. Let us admit it, There is
some danger. No one can tell how dam
Scrous it might become if fully cxer-
cised. But no new legislation is ever
enacted without some element of danger
in its possibilities. The best guaranty
is that the pending measure is conscrva-
tive. IT protects the interests of the skip
ping community and does no. permit the
coniiscation Of the railway property. The
present bill is 4 compromise measure. 1t
probably does not meet the full views of
anyone.
Some things about the bill are obicc-
tionable. The provision fixing a penalty
OF 5000 for each distinct violation OF an
order of the commission might penal;ze n
road to the extent of millions of dollars
day The proposition is so unconscion-
| able that the court must hold it uncon-
sututional. No one, whether he be n per
.