The Mena weekly star., 1907-10-17
NANI FEDERAL CONTROL
presidents of Several Railroad; Agree as to Desirability of Gov.
 ernment Regulation.
STATE AAD INTERSTATE LAWS coNFlIc,
presldent Ripley, of the Santa Fo sa'd Railroads Are Opposed to tn. Varied Assortment of Regulation, Under Which at Present They Ar, Compelled to Operate.


 Chicago. Oct, 15.--That railroae executives generally approve of tho plan for government control and regu iation of transportation lines of th. nation, as advocated by Robert Math CT, president of the Rock Island com peny, in his speech to the Chicago Association of Commerce Monday was strongly indicated when variou. officials went on record to that effect
 MT. Mather's address was called ad mirable in every way, and none of the railroad officials interviewed dis agreed with him as to the desirabilit, of centralized authority in preferenc, to what they called the varied and in consistent system of laws passed b, state legislatures.
 It was granted. too, that Mir. Math CT had done we'll to talk openly of r. batting.
 After complimenting Mir. Mather or his speech, E. P. Ripley, president O. the Santa Fe, said he thought tn, principal points urged by the Rock Island official well taken.
 What the railroads are opposed to-" he said. is this varied assort ment of rules, regulations and laws under which at the present they mus, operate. For instance, the Santa Fe runs through 14 states and territories and what is legal in one state may be unlawful in another, and vice versa In other words, we have too man. masters. Would not it be much bet ter for us If We had a single, central source of regulation than so many. l believe that is the position taker by Mir. Mather and most railroad of ficials.
 The outcry against the railroads has done them much damage" con tinued Mr. Ripley. This antagonism is by no means thing of the past as it exists to-day and is deep seated The censure and attacks of the press and the unjust strictures from other sources have kept it alive. The re suit Is that the railroads have been nearly ruined. They are now worry. ing along as best they can. They can not do anything but serve the public, even if the public is attacking them v
 MT. Ripley denied that the roads would back any programme befor. the next congress.
 "A great address, very sensible and convincing speech said MT. J T. Harahan, president of the Illinois Central railroad, taken as whole. and not analyzing each and every sec tion, Mir. Mather's statement, in my opinion, pretty well expressed the feeling of railroad presidents and managers. The trouble is and has been that the states have various laws which conflict with the in terstate laws. This leads to embar' rassment and needs correction. It is also true that several states have stat utes which do not agree. This leads to trouble.
 q do not know what the railroads intend to do. If they have agreed upon any programme ol iesisia'ion have not heard of 1t.
 What do you think of his reference to rebates?" Mir Harahan was asked
 "Oh, 1t was all right guess 1t was true, every word of it. They used to give and take rebates, suppose, but they do not any more. No one wants to-"
 w. H. McDoel, president of the Mo non. approved of Mir. Mathers sentf ments.
 s. M. Felton, president of the Alton road said Mir. Mather's presentation of the case was admirable. T can not speek too highly of MT. Mathsrs address" said Mir. Felton- II was clean cut, intelligent, frank and iair.