The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-20

Railroad President Supposed to Be in
Line With Roosevelt Against
the Hepburn Bill.
WORST LAW EVER DRAFTED
so BADIT MAY oVERsHooT THE
MARK.

/ Hartford, Conn.,, March 19.-President
c. S. Mellen of the New York, New
Haven & Hartford railroad. tonight
delivered an address before the Get
/ Together Club" taking as his subject
the Hepburn Rate Bill" In discussing
/ it he declared that he considered the
bill bad and full of evil possibilities.
and that ne believed the measure had
been drafted with some Interior motive.
he said in part:
1T is claimed that ! favor this bill.
while the fact is / regard it in its pres
ent form as a most peTniCiOus piece of
legislatiOn-One of the worst that has
attracted my attention.
Badness of the Bill.
The bill is so bad. and is full of such
evil possibilities. regarding which l am
disposed to believe some of its advO-
Gates have been imposed upon, it Will
probably OvershOOt the mark, and
careful examination causes me to spec
ulate whether il may not have been
cunningly devised by some one opposed
to all legislation So utterly subVersiVe
is il of all principles of justice, so
utterly regardless is it of all warrant in
constitutionality, so arbitrary and au-
tOcratic is it in it's provisions regard
ing unimpOrtant matters that it may
be we'll believed that it was the design
to cause disgust. distrust and antago-
nism among all right-thinking and fair
minded men.
Some Restraint Needed
If such a result should obtain it will
in my judgment be a misfortune TO the
railroads as well as to the public. The
need of additional legislation / have
always admitted. have publicly advo-
Gated for the power Of the railroads Is
/ too great to be longer permitted to be
exercised without greater restraint in
the interest of the public.
ANY legislation along lines that Will
accomplish the practical elimination OF
preferences and determinations, and
the present laws have nearly accom-
pIised their purpose I'm these respects,
amendments to existing laws requiring
the frequent examination OF books.
/ records and accounts, as in the case or
national banks, with the fullest returns
and their publication and accessibility,
will do more good to the public and be
without harm to the carriers than any
such legislation as is now pending be
fore the United States senate.
Law Unnecessary.
Under existing laws, amended to in
cIude car companies and other car
IleTSs UUI IlOW SuUJCCL ~ the iiLCA0AoAC
commerce act, and with power to ex-
anime books and accounts and give
such measure Of publicity to the opera
tfons of the carriers as might be ad
judged necessary, ] would myself IN
dertake to stamp out and hold in re-
strafnt the payment of all rebates and
the practice Of discrimination as COM
pIetely and effectUally as are murder
and other crimes against persons and
property in all organized, well disposed
and Iaw-abiding communities Such
bill as this is necessary TO eradicate
the only evils of railroad management
which are claimed to be existing, and
would appear to be an attempt TO OBJ
tain doubtful legal powers for an ul-
terror purpose
Mr.. Mellen in conclusion said that
"such a law as this would cover with
shame the car Of Russia or the sultan
of Turkey"