Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-02-26

Senator Stephen B. Elkins has evi
IDENTITY been to New York to consult his
friends, the Wall street railroad mag
mates, about the plan of campaign tt
prevent rate regulation. From New
York Senator Elkins informs the pub
| lie that all the Republican member:
| Of the senate committee on Interstate
| commerce have reached the conclusion
| that there must be railroad legislation
| this winter" "The president, | under
stand" said Mr.. Elkins. lis as emphat
| ic as ever in his Judgment that the rail
! road rate and private car line problem
must be dealt with decisivey. | thins
| there is no doubt that some sort Of bill
| will be passed. Just what its provi
sions will be is, of course, a matter OF
| conjecture.
My idea is a measure for the refer
| ence of all rate disputes, passenger and
| freight, to a court Of interstate com.
mercc to be composed of nine Judges
one for each judicial circuit of the
| United States, or for such disputes lc
| be referred to the circuit court judges
without the creation Of Il new court.
Il do not believe that the interstate
commerce commission should be allow.
ed to deal with the question. | would
| keep that body intact to discharge its
| duties as at present and would not
| give it the additional work of regulat.
! ing rates My idea for the reference OF
disputed rate matters to the circuit
judges meets with general approval in
Washington. and | hope to convert the
| president to my view
| That interview was evidently careful
ly prepared so it Is we'll to note the
points made and the conclusions that
Senator Elkins and the railroad mag.
mates have arrived at. First. "the pres.
| ident is as emphatic as ever" for regu-
lating railroad rates by giving more
| power to the interstate commerce com
mission, but Il hope to convert the
president to my view" "My view"
which is doubtless also the view Of
the railroad magnates, is that, as there
must be "some sort of a bill passed"
! all the intrigue and craft of the cor
poration magnates and their attorneys
! are to be used to cOncOct bill that.
while pretending to legisiate against
unreasonable rates, will really enact
nothing that will disturb the railroads
from charging "all the traffic will
bear"
Senator Elkins "dOes not believe that
the interstate commerce commission
should be allowed to deal with the
question:" which has been and Is the
opinion of the railroads, but they are
willing to refer all rate disputes to a
court of the nine circuit court judges.
This Endorsement Of the Judges Of the
United States courts by Senator Elllins
and the railroads as the arblters they
would select to settle their disputes
with shippers is really an indictment
of the Judges. If the shippers should
declare they could not get justice in the
circuit court because the judges travel
ed on railroad passes and were preju-
diced on the railroad side of the rate
question, they would probably be pun
ished for contempt of court. But leay-
ing the matter OF favoritism, what a
poor show of settlement OF a rate que5-
ton there would be for Il shipper in
such court.
The shipper. whether farmer or bust
ness man, who felt that railroad was
charging him an unreasonable rate,
would first have to apply to the inter
state commerce commission to have
the rate declared unreasonable. That
would take time, and when the evil
dence on both sides had been heard and
the rate decided as unreasonable, then
the shipper would have to begin an ac-
ton in this court composed Of all the
nine judges Of the United States cir
cult courts sitting in banco. How long
would it take to get majority of that
court to assemble to hear the case? 1t
might be years. Then the interminable
delay that the railroad attorneys-the
ablest that money can hire-could pro
duce.
And vet Senator Elkins and the rail
road magnates hope ito convert" the
president to such proposition.
1t is well to note that the Democratic
senators are not included in this eX-
traordinary plan for fooling the people.
This is Il Republican plan, as Senator
Elllins distinctly informs us, and
shows plainly the copartnership be
tween the Republican leaders and the
railroads. President Roosevelts plan
at the last session of congress was sim
liar to the Democratic plan, which was
known as the Davey bill. and there is
no evidence that he or the Democrats
have changed their minds.
The Davey bill, in short, provided
that the interstate commerce commits
sion be given power to fix rate in
place Of one decided to be unreas0n-
able and the rate to remain in force
until the courts decided that it was toe
low or coniiscatory of the property OF
the railroads.
That is the plan that probably both
President Roosevelt and the Democrats
will abide by, and possibly the Demo
Gratis and the Roosevelt Republicans
will have a majority in the senate.
Where Light Is Needed.
II that largest searchlight in the