The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-09-25

several Republican candidates who fc'
several months. have been striving. AT.
thourt not declared candidates yet
Speaker cannon II nm nspirant but less
, IN being heard Of his boom than was
the care a month ago. Secretary TAFT
seems to be gaining In popular strength
and the opinion grows that he viii not
accept the Presidents offer TO go upon
the supreme bench.
Little has been heard OF Vice Presl-
dent Fairbanks during the summer,
except that he IL making an occasional
speech on civic occasions throughout
the west and incidentally gathering in
delegates. Secretary Shaw. of the
Treasury Department. is pitching into
the campaign already. and few days
ago started on a speaking tour that
win continue right up to election day.
Numerous applicants for relief at the
hands of the Interstate Commerce
Commission are sure to be disappointed
during the next six or eight months.
The commissioners are fully aware of
this prospect. They are comparatively
well along with their work. Only about
eighty cases were left over from the
old commission. There Is really little
to do but take up the problems that
arise out of the new railroad rate law.
But preliminary matters are requir-
ing so much of the commissions time
that none of its members yet under
take to suggest the date when II will
be conducting investigations into COM
plants of shippers and issuing orders
to fix rates. 1t may be year or more
before any decision OF Importance in
rate fixing is made. The commission
will probably be quite as deliberative
as high court and will not speed its
final word on rate controversies more
than courts are accustomed to do in
important suits.
The commission Is already adopting
plans for its work. much like the
courts. The work is being systema-
tized. The commissioners expect to
have regular office hours, regular days
for consultation. and regular days for
hearings. Heretofore the commission
ers have pursued go-as-you-please
policy. Each commissioner has been
very much law unto himself and the
public business has suffered by absen-
teeism and lack of understanding when
pending matters were to be taken up
and disposed of. The work was done
systematically. 1t is proposed now to
have concentration and coordination
of efforts and likewise to give less time
to callers who want to talk about
cases. The representations of various
interested parties will be confined to
written papers and to the formal hear
ings, all of which it is hoped to make
public.
The commission is now entering up
on vast amount of work, quite OUT
side the rate law. which will consume
much of it's time for the next three or
four months. Most of this is work that
Congress directed should be done--the
continued investigation of the connec-
ton between the railroads and the
operation of coal mines and oil fields; |
an inquiry into the management of |
grain elevators; and an investigation |
Of automatic safety devices on rail-
roads. The rate law provision that |
railroads should not own coal lands
and oil fields after May 1, 1908, seems
10 forestall any recommendation the
may make under the Till
nan Gillespie resolution, but 1t is pro-
feeding to investigate none the less and
hundreds of subpoenas are being pre-
pared for witnesses in Kansas and |
Colorado. Over six thousand circular
etters have been sent out from the
within the last two weeks,
asking for information about the vari-
,us inquiries the commission now has
n hand. The investigation of automa-
ic devices could be made almost
worldwide in scope, under the Ian
,uage of the resolution of Congress,
md report is required by the time
congress convenes next December
No steps have been taken towards
ending men into the field to forward
investigation of complaints against
Probably hone will be sent
or several months. Every available
Jerk the commission now has or is
authorized to employ under the rate
aw will be needed on other work. Con-
ress directed that compilation of
ational, state, and local commercial
odies be made; also a similar publica-I
ion of agricultural bodies. That in
Olives communication with nearly
very postmaster in the country and
leans a large tax upon the commits
Ions clerical force.
Unless the unexpected happens, there
III be no final test of the rate law in
he courts for two or three years. The |
ailroads are showing little disposition
, resist the orders of the commission, [
D far as it has discretion to issue or !
ers, such as in the filing of tariffs. 1t
i'll hardly decide complaints of I'M |
easonable rates, several of which are 1
ow pending before next spring, prob ]
bly, no important cases requiring /
ing investigation, before next autumn. !.
s it takes time to put a case through
10 circuit court and the United States S
upreme Court. provided any railroad |
looses to resist the making of rate i
y commission. it is not unlikely that I
lie country will remain In ignorance as !
} the constitutonality of the rate law @
tier the next presidential election. q
ERNEST G. WALKER.
4