Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-02-13
LODGE SUSTAINS
RAILROAD BILL
MAKES SPEECH IN SUPPORT OF
MEASURE
TlIlman Attacks the Administration,
Charging II Is Not Proceeding
In Good Faith Concerning
Rate Regulation
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE senate
today adopted Joint resolution re-
ported by Mr. Tilman from the senate
committee on interstate commerce.
which directs the interstate commerce
commission to Investigate the charge
of discrimination and combination
in restraint of trade made against the
railroads. The adoption of the resolu-
ton was preceded by u speech by Mr..
Tillman, in which he practically
charged that the administration was
not proceeding in good faith to secure
railroad legislation, because he was
not satisfied with the presidents adj
visers. Among these he mentioned
Secretary Root and Senator Knox, the
former of whom he said was an adj
wiser of the "magnates responsible for
the deviment" and the latter of whom
had been for many years attorney for
the Pennsylvania Railroad company.
Mr. Knox contradiCted the charge rela-
tive to himself saying that he never
had been attorney for the Pennsylvania
railroad
Mr.. Lodge also spoke at length on
the railroad question. He delivered
carefully prepared speech, in which he
took a position for governmental regu-
lation of rates, but advised the utmost
caution against too radical action. He
expressed the opinion that the giving
of rebates was practically the only
evil existing in connection with the rail-
road systems of the country.
For the first time in two weeks Mr..
Hepburn was in his seat when the
senate was called to order today His
absence has been due to an attack of
appendicitis, from which he has almost
recovered.
Mr.. Patterson resigned as a member
of the committee on privileges and
elections and Mr.. Frazer was assigned
to fill the vacancy.
Lodge Defends Rate Bill
Mr.. Lodge then addressed the sem
ate upon the railroad rate legislation.
He spoke to Mr.. Clay's resolution on
that subject and was listened to by
an audience that filled the galleries.
Mr.. Lodge announced his support of
legislation for the control of railroad
rates along the lines of the Esch-
Townsend bill of last session, and said
that he believed the practice of giving
rebates to be the most serious of all
the evils complained of. He expressed
the conviction that only by legislation
along the lines suggested could govern
ment ownership be prevented. He said
that before entering upon the investi
cation of the question he had disposed
of his railroad interests in order that
his inquiry might be free from bias.
He expressed the opinion that the
rate question is second only as an eco
nomic problem to the financial question
and one of the most important ever
before congress. All were agreed, he
said, as to what we, as people, desire
to do, but the differences are over the
method of proceeding. He was con-
WINGED that there are evils to be rem
edied in connection with the trans
portation system, but the problem con-
sisted in finding fair and just means
of dealing with them.
He passed over as an establishe ell
fact, the right of congress to legisate
for the regulation of the railroads The
grievances against the roads he divided
into three classes as follows:
Rebates, or discrimination between
persons; excessive rates, and discrimin-
alton between localities.
He quoted statistics in an effort to
show that freight rates are lower in
the United States than in any other
country and concluded that il no other
grievance were presented there would
be cause for legislation and that in the
matter of discrimination between To-
calities it is very difficult to interfere
in behalf of one place without doing
injustice to others, but the only way
to accomplish anything Is for the gov
eminent to assume supervision of rate
making. He confessed the difficulty
in dealing with the problem and said
the fixing Of rates by the government
would not cure the evil, and concluded
that that could be only effected by a
provision for the punishment of those
who violate the law by giving rebates.
Regarding rebates he said:
The rebates have been a wrong and
injustice to the people and serious in
jury to the railroads themselves. /
don't think that it would be possible to
pass legislation too drastic for the pur-
pose of stopping these determinations
between persons. We have law now
on the statute books which, so far as
prohibition can so, ought to be suffi-
Gent. 1t undoubtedly has largely
checked rebates but has not stopped
them entirely. To make the law thor
oughly efficient we ought to adopt, in
my judgment, three provisions. We
should restore the former penalties of
the interstate commerce laW-Which
should not have been repealed-and
make these secret evasions of the pub
lished rates punishable by imprison-
ment. The men who perpetrate these