Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-08
HARMONIOUS EFFORT URGED
MR.. KNAPP ADDRESSES STATE
RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS.
Seventy Delegates Present at the
Annual Convention That Opened
In This City This Morning.

harmony OF purpose and coordination
or object was the keynote of the brief
address delivered by Martin A. Knapp
chairman Of the interstate commerce com.
mission. at the opening Of the meeting
OF the nineteenth annual session of the
National Association of Railway Commits.
sioners.
The convention was called to order ir
the hearing room of the interstate COM
merce commission by C. c. McChord OF
| the Kentucky state railroad commission
first vice president of the organization
About seventy delegates. representing
nearly all of the states and territories OF
the Union. were present
At the last convention of the association
held in this city in the spring Of 1906
John 8. McMillin. of the Washington
| state commission, was chosen president
but his retirement from Office in Wash.
fngton induced his resignation as an off,
cial OF the association. Thus First Vice
President McChord became acting presi.
dent.
Nearly All States Represented.
Since the latest convention Of the as
soeiation several states not heretofore
represented In the organization have pro
vided by legislation for railway commits
siens. and. all the states and territories
of the Union, with two or three excep-
I tons, new are represented in the asso-
ciation.
I After the convention had been opened
formally, Isaac r. Brown of Pennsyl-
vania, chairman Of the executive com
mittee, submitted q report in which he
said:
1T Is impossible to measure the good
which this organization may accomplish
IN the yet unsOlved problem Of trans
portation. but all Of which must be
solved by the American people, who
never have failed in any emergency, and
they will not fail now to settle and es-
tabl.sh equitable relations between ship
per. passenger and carrier"
On behalf of the interstate commerce
commission. Chairman Knapp extended
to the members of the association a cor
dial greeting and expressed. incidentally.
the hope that the association would
make Washington it's permanent meeting
place.
Harmony Of Action Urged.
Harmony Of action. purpose and
policy" said he. Should be the key
note Of this convention. More and
more am I impressed with the neces-
sity of associated action in our life.
When we come into the great field of
commerce we discover that there are
some conditions which are almost in
tolerable. but by harmony of purpose
and of action these conditions. to a
large extent. may be abated. Every
thoughtful man must realize the i'm
portance OF bringing, to the greatest
possible degree. conflicting conditions
into harmonious development Mem
bers of this organization can render q
signal service to the country by sup
pressing antagonism and hostility and
by bringing about the greatest degree
of harmony. thus serving the common
good of all the people of the country"
Chairman Knapp pointed out that there
was every opportunity for q divergence
of effort which might result in harmful
antagonism.
Our life as a nation" said he, 'is
greatly increasing in complexity. The
condition creates demand. therefore. for
a surrender of individual opinion where
such surrender may inure to the profit of
the whole country"
In closing, Chairman Knapp said: mo
question approaches in magnitude or in
Importance this transportation problem.
We should promote uniformity of legisla-
ton and uniformity of action. The inter-
state commerce commission. SO far from
desiring to encroach upon the functions
of the state commissions. wishes to be in
accord with you. and thus bring about in
fluential and useful results from this an
nuaI meeting of your association