The Washington herald., 1906-11-11
AIDS COMMERCE BODY
President VIII Recommend
Amendments in Message.
INCREASE LIST OF MEMBERS
Traffic Associations to BE LegaliEed
and to Come Directly Under the
Jurisdiction of the Commission,
which Roosevelt Desires To Con-
sIst of Three More Members.

Special 10 The Washington Herald
Chicago. Nov l0.-It was learned here
to-day from a source considered authori-
tative that President Roosevelt. in his
annual message to Congress next month,
will recommend two amendments TO the
interstate commerce law.
He viii propose that the various rail-
way traffic associations, whose standing
before the law is now extremely dubious.
shall he iegalized, and that at the same
time they shall be shoTn Of most of their
power by a requirement that all rates
made by them must be confirmed by the
interstate Commerce Commission.
This would give the commission con-
troll OF the initiating Of most rates in sd-
dition to its present power Of changing
them, when. after a formal hearing. it
finds them unfair
Wants Ten Members.
The second amendment which the Presi-
dent will recommend viii be one increas-
ing the number Of members Of the COM
mission from seven TO ten. The enormous
amount Of work which has piled up since
the new rates law went into effect has
convinced the President and members Of
the commission that 1t is not yet numeri-
caIly strong enough.
What to do in relation 10 the traffic
associations has been "a serious question
with President Roosevelt and the Inter
state Commerce Commission for some
time. The existence Of these organiza-
tions is in open violation of the sherman
not only by aggrieved shippers, but by
many of the ablest lawyers in the coun-
try.
The chief purpose for which the asso-
citation meetings take place is to agree
upon rates. and il is held that in so far
as they do this they are combinations in
restraint OF trade. The government Off
cials have been loath to recognize and
deal with organizations having She stigma
Of illegality upon them.
Serve a Good Purpose.
It has been recognized, on the other
hand that the associations serve a use
ful purpose. and that to put them out Of
business would produce a chaotic rate
situation. Then every road would have
to make its own rates without any
knowledge of what its competitors pro-
posed to do
The problem with the President and
his advisers has been to devise some
means by which the associations could
be shOrn Of their power fer harm and
still left able to do the good they are
capable of. A number of conferences re-
garding the matter have taken place. The
last was held at the White House several
days ago. Il was attended by the Presi-
dent Attorney General Moody, Martin A
Knapp, chairman OF the Interstate Com
merce Commission, and two other men.
one OF these Is known to have been a
prominent manufacturer and shipper, the
other is understood to have been a big
railroad official
At this conference the decision was ar
rived at that the best thing to do was
for the President TO make the recommen-
dation that the existence of the associa-
tions should be formally legaIzed. but
| simultaneously. it should be provided
that rates made by them shall become ef-
fective only when indorsed by the COM
mission.
Appeals Come Too Late.
hinder the now