The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-04
HEPBURN'S STUDIES ABROAD
IOWA CONGRESSMAN STICKS TO
ENGLAND AND HOLL nm.
Won't 60 10 swit Zeriand for Initiative
and Referendum Observation Govern
ment Ownership Won't DO for Us. He
says-Our Present National Problems.
.specth Cable DesDaieh 10 r.x Suv

ment Ownership Won't Do for Tic. He
says-Our Present National Problems.
Special Cable Dcspatch 10 rRH suv.
LONDON. Aug. g. Congressman William
p. Hepburn Of Iowa. chairman Of the Inter-
state and Foreign Commerce. Committee.
Is in London with his wife. daughter aad
s%on-in-law. After visiting Holland they in
tend to make trips in England and return
TO the United States on September ~ IL
Ia MIR. Hepburn's first trip TO Europe. He
says:
Il only intend visiting Holland and Eng
land. These arc the most interesting =
tries to me and practically the only ones
which have contributed everything which
America possesses in the way OF laws.
institutions and higher thoughts"
Wont you 20 90 Switzerland and see
h working Of the initiative and refer
endum?"
-0f course ! arm interested in those ideas,
and theoretically Switzerland could teach
me much, but the practical conditions OF
b country and the pursuits OF the people
ere so dissimilar from those obtaining in
the United States that the success OF ideas
in Switzerland by no means forms a sound
premise for argument that similar ideas
would suit in America.
THE difference In size and conditions be-
tween America and countries where various
governmental experiments are being tried
Is constantly forgotten. For example, in
New Zealand. where the success OF social
istic ideas is so constantly quoted. the sta
tistics show that the ~governmentally con-
trolled railroads lost In one year 81. 500, 900.
Well: 10 the American mind that is not a
very great deficit. but you must remember
that New Zealand has only 300 miles OF
railroad. while America with over 200 900
miles on the same proportion would have
a deficit Of over s4OO. OOO, 900 annually II
the Government controlled the railroads.
However. I don't think there is any
likelihood OF the people insisting on govern
mental ownership TO any extent. II the
United States owned and operated the
public utilities like the railroads and tele-
graphs il would mean hat over 1900. 900
employees would be directly under con-
troll OF one or at most a few minds. A
Government starting u an innovation
with u enormous patronage would
easily be able to perpetuate itself. The
people Of the United States have awakened
to the fact that governmental ownership
would mean practically an oligarchy and
won't have It,. They have dropped theidea
like a hot potato"
Speaking Of prospective railroad legisla-
ton Mr.. Hepburn said that unquestionsbly
many bills would be introduced during
the coming session OF Congress affectin &
railroads and IL was likely that among them
would be one giving the Government power
TO regulate bond issues based on valuation.
What would be the fate OF such n measure
he was not prepared to prophesy. 1t will
depend. he said. mainly on the attitude OF
the Interstate Commerce Commission OF
course the question Of the constitutionality
Of such legislation would be raised. but IL
seemed to him that where the railroads
do interstate business. which most OF them
do, the Government could exercise such
power over them. Mr.. Hepburn added:
IL do not think that legislation 10 neces-
sary in order 70 secure the much talked Of
nppraisement OF railroads. as the Interstate
Commerce Commission already possesses
ample power to secure such information
in fact. there is not any variety Of informa-
ton concerning railroads which the Inter
state Commerce Commission has not now
the power to secure.
Tariff revision is extremely unlikely.
~ dttctuptcu az tuc NOhnuk btbbiOh ~ Wih
be put on until after the confusion OF the
next election has passed, when the Republi-
can party. II in power, will undoubtedly
attempt a revision. Since the tariff was
instituted a revision has been made about
once in every ak or eight years. Undoubt-
eddy the present law is defective in many
instances. Some rates are too low and
others are too high. but certainly the general
prosperity OF the country was never so great
IA under the present law"
What has most impressed Congressman
Hepburn in Europe thus far is the solidity
OF the architecture and the antiquity Of the
buildings.
ITO a man like myself" said Mr. Hepburn.
these solid old buildings. dating back
hundreds Of years. are tremendously in
teresting. | ven TO Iowa Territory sixty
six years ago. and | dare say there isn't a
building in the States which have since been
cut out OF that Territory that lie older than
.--