The Washington herald., 1907-02-26
DEMOCRATS AND
RAILWAY CONTROL

/ The Washington Herald has received
additional answers from Democrats in
/ Congress to these inquiries:
F Firt-Do you favor the government ownership Of
railVays5
Seconds the present regulation Of railway inter
state traffic sufficiently strong to protect shippers.
I If not, can q be strengthened2
( Third-Do goa fav0F plank on this question in
: the Democratic national platform
! Senator Rayner, Maryland-D do not
+ % I believe the law could be strength
ened. but, if properly enforced, its pro-
+ visions afford efficient remedies over the
subjects it embraces. 80 I would give the
/ present law d sufficient test before chang
/ ing or amending it, but If a great emer-
Cency arises which the law does not meet
/ then 7 would, perhaps, favor q declara-
I ton in the platform in favor of the ex-
! tension and enlargement OF the statute.
/ Senator Latimer. South Carolina-O I
/ do not favor government ownership Of
railways. % I think the present law
regulating interstate railway traffic is suf-
iciently strong. provided it Is properly
enforced. 80 I do not favor a plank on
/ this question in the next Democratic ma
tional platform.
Representative Pou. North Carolina-D
do not favor the government ownership
Of railways at this time. % I do not
think the present regulation Of railway
/ interstate traffic sufficiently strong to
adequately protect the rights of shippers
under the law. I think the law in this
respect can be strengthened By giving to
the Interstate Commerce Commission the
power 20 revise and adjust any railway
rate ascertained by that body to be
Illegal. I believe that the most Migrant
abuse in the administration of the rail-
ways Of this country consists largely in
the giving OF rebates 10 favored shippers,
and in the discrimination in favor of GER
tain cities. CD l do not favor plank ad-
vOcating the government ownership Of
railways in the next Democratic platform.
Representative Stanley, KentUcky-D I
prefer Federal control to government
ownership. 90 The present regulation Of
railway Interstate traffic is not sufficiently
strong to protect the shipper Were pub
lie officials guided only by "A sincere de-
sire to serve the public. and neither
directly nor indirectly affected by rail-
road influences, there is power enough in
the Federal government and wisdom
enough in those who are intrusted with
the making and execution of the laws to
infinitely improve present legislation, and
in a great measure 10 adequately protect
the public and secure the shipper against
much of the injustice which b now en-
dures, and TO save him from much of the
extortion to which he is at present forced
to submit. so I favor a plank in the
Democratic platform declaring that it is
the purpose of the Democratic party to
enact a more drastic law regulating COM
mon carriers engaged in interstate busi-
ness. / do not at this time favor a plank
advocating government ownership.
Representative Bowie. Alabama-G) do
not favor the government ownership of
railways. CD 1t is impossible to state,
at this time, whether or not the present
regulation of railway interstate traffic
Is sufficiently strong to protect shippers.
believe It is if the personnel of the
commission is all right. II not. It seems
to me that the law could be best strength
ened by strengthening the commission.
80 I now see no necessity for plank on
this question in the next Democratic ma
tional platform.