The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1906-03-23
IN CHARGE or DEMOCRATS
The Railroad Rate Bill Is In *.
Hands Of the Peoples
FRIENDS.
Now the Democrats have char.

Now the Democrats have char.
the railroad rate lsgis alton In the j.
ate, the chances for q e rassaee Ok
bill are increased foul fold as Still
Iillman is a firm frieI a OF the r.
and cannot be swervg from INV
pose which he undertakes.
The present railroad rats bin
only be the entering W. dye OF the na..
sary legislation To protect me
from unreasonable rates. Perhai M
greatest benefit 20 be reduced b.
.aw will be the publicity clause thr
which the inside workings Of the
roads Will be exposed "a the publi
and the actual income and exper
all the railroads be laid bare
Mr. Charles 5. Hanke. OF Boston ~
has been for years gathering inform.
ton about the cost OF transportat.
furnishes evidence that railroad r4ta.
are now too high. that the companies
take more for the service they reua.-
than II is worth that they conceal m
OF their earnisgs by various bookf4m
ing devices. ans that the proof OF these
charges will IN become apparent AFTER
some real pubsSNy is turned on The af-
fairs OF railroad companies.
The things Mr. Hsuke char-es -a
startling in the extreme. The railr
he says. control now a sixth Of The
tional wealth: their capitalirat!on ,sa
times that OF the banking bns.r-
They are in close alliance with the trl z.
that control iron. steel. meats grains
sugar. salt and other necessaries
are steadily raising rates despite taat
business is growing by leaps and bOurs
and that they were never so prosper
as now. and do not dare let the Dr.
know how much they are earning.
There has been from the beginning
strong belief in certain quarters that
the railroad opposition to the pcniiul
legislation was aimed al least as D.
against the publicity feature as against
rate regulation. II is known. too. IN :
many OF the most enthusiastic friends
OF corporate regulation. expect more
immediate results from the publicly
than from the regulation features
They expect that the things VII
publicity Will bring 10 light viii d
termine the community before long
20 greatly strengthen tire rate-makna
features Of the law
Under the proposed law the Inter
state commerce commission will have
power 10 enforce publicity IN railroad
affairs. 10 examine the books and
counts OF these companies. and 70 ~.
force something like method AMI ua
formlty in this branch OF the trans
portation business, there will he
tie delay about investigating the
sonableness OF present rates
This publicity clause Is one Of n
chief points that the Democrats insist
ed upon being included in the h.
and when that was conceded they
termined 10 support the Hepburn blu
as the best that could be expected ~
a Republican congress. With nlh
licity assured and with a full know
edge OF the profits the railroads ere
making equitable rates can be made
that will be reasonable TO the nfo
pie and fair 70 the corporations +
will also no longer be possible for the
corporations TO use large sums 20
bride legislatures. or 70 give Repnh
lican committees 10 corrupt the voters
for such expenditures. instead of "
ing hid under the head q legal FL
penses" will have 70 appear in ther
books. charged 20 the corrupt purpose.
,or which used.
Everyone IS interested in reason
able railroad rates. and to oh;a'u
them must back MP the Domocraor "
It's Efforts TO protect the public hf
electing congressman. and vote f0r
members % the legislature who elect
senators. who are pledged 10 this and
other necessary reforms.