The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1907-04-05

V10"b u u4l0, Ouo OAAo AAu~A AMY wv
said confidentally, that tho Presi-
dent is no more the enemy of the
railroads than he is of any other
industrial enterprise The Inter
state Commerce commission has,
under his direction and the direc-
ton of Congress, unearthed an
amazing amount of rottenness and
discrimination. This will be pros
ecuted through the regular channel
Of the Department of Justice With
out fear or favor. The question
whether or not there will be addi-
tional railway legislation called for
at the next session of Congress will
depend largely on whether or not
the present laws prove adequate in
dealing with the case. That is
about as much as can safely be
said now. But that the railroads
realize the President is not their
enemy is shown by their unanim-
ity with which they are turning
to federal control as protection
against hostile state legislation.
They feel that they will be a good
deal safer if one legislature deals
with them than if they are left to
tho none too tender mercles of 46
legislatures, and while they may
not have quite as free hand as for
merly in making huge fortunes out
of railroad looting under the guise
of high finance, they know they
will get a square deal from the ad-
ministration, and this is a good
deal more than they can be certain
of from some OF the states.
An illustration of how the rail-
roads are coming into camp in fear
of more popular indignation was
offered this week, when six of the
big coal carrying roads Of the mid
die west announced that they would
not raise coal rates as they had
to do. All of the roads
in question announced some time
ago that they would add fiat rate
Of ten cents per ton to all their coal
tariffs. The additional ten cents
per ton would not have amounted
to much in some cases, but in others
would have made the rate very bur-
densome. A delegation of the op-
orators, accompanied by John Mitch
oil of the United Mine Workers,
called on the Interstate Commerce
and protested the ad-
vance. There was every prospect
If a bitter rate fight and a COM
plant was actually written out and
given to the Commission to be off,
ciallY filed as soon as the obnoxious
rates we're put into effect. just
then came up the storm of indigna-
ton against the reads such as has
been growing since. The result
was that the railroad officials had
another conference, and notified the
Commission that they would not
enforce the high rate. One of them
since has given notice of cutting
the rate, and all the coal shippers
are happy. 1t only goes to show
that the railroads are living with
their ear much closer to the ground
than formerly, and are quick to
note the sound of public criticim.
The President has received good
from all of the Congressman
who have visited the Panama Gu
nal. One Of the latet OF these to
call at the White House was Rep
resentatlve Graft, Of Illinois, who
was there this week. He said that
the whole Zone was remarkably
we'll policed and healthful. The
working force was we'll organ
lied, and he was impressed by
the energy and capacity shown bv
the many young Americans in ex-
ecutive positions. He said there
was no fear of epidemics as there
was this tine year ago, and he
saw no reason why the canal
should not be completed we'll with
in the term of years that had been
setfor the work by the various par
ties of engineers who bad been over
the ground. The best of the labor
ers, he said, we're the Spaniards and
Italians, with the jamaican negroes
very bad third.
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