The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-02
PRESIDENTS VIEW,
RAILROAD ISSUE.
Opposes Government Owner
ship; EayOrs Strict National
Supervision.
SAYS COMBINATIONS OF
CAPITAL MUST EXIST
Sets Out His Opinions at Length
i'm Letter to Manufacturers
of Illinois.

WASHINGTON, April 1.-Presidenb
Roosevelt has decided not to accept the
invitation of the Illinois Manufacturers
association 10 deliver n speech at Spring.
field, H., on the railroad situation. Hs
has addressed letter to c. H Smith,
president of the association. stating that
II would he impossible for him TO acceps
their invitation, extended last week, be-
cause he did no, feel that he had any
thing to say at his time In special adj
dress on this special subject.
The President has received great
number OF requests for statement by
him, or a speech to be made by him In
connection with the railway situation-
He has given these requests the utmosu
weight and most careful consideration
After fully looking into the matter the
| President informed his advisers that he
had come 10 the conclusion that thera
was nothing now further he had TO say
| at this moment Oh the railway situation:
that he did not deem It either wise or
proper to say anything with view 20
any immediate situation In Wall street,
and that he could only give expression
TO the definite and settled policy 10 he
carried out wholly without regard TO the
exigencies OF the moment, and as his
views the policy in question were al
ready n matter OF record. IT. did not seem
necessary at this time TO repeat them
To the different men, friendly and un-
! friendly, who have visited him or writ
ten TO him. he has answered verbally or
In writing that his words and acts spoke
| FOR themselves and needed no explana-
| tion whatever. and that he would not in
his future course deviate one hairs
breadth from the course he has pursued
in the past and was now pursuing.
Justifes Every Action.
The statement was made from an au-
! thorltatve source today that even "
most cursory examination OF what the
President repeatedly said In speeches and
in messages VIII show the utter non-
the slightest intention 10 take any ac-
tion which would invalidate the safety
and stability OF the railway securities
] now issued. the whole legislative pro-
gramme Of the President having been
| proclaimed again and again is one 10 In
/ sure against the mistakes and delinquen-
! that every executive action taken under
/ his administration, whether by the De-
! partment OF Justice or by the lnteTstats
| Commerce commission. has turnlShed itS
I own ample Justification.
| II was pointed out today In administra-
! tive circles that the President has mads
! no references In bis speeches or messages
I to the question of the physical valuation
OF railroads. This position. II was said,
! is that the roads themselves Will work OUT
this problem as an Item of oookkeeping.
two roads. the Northern Pacifc and the
Great Northern, already have submitted
figures as to their physical valuation ,,,o
Ii can be stated on authority that the
President will again ask Congress AT us
next session for power 70 deal with mo
question OF over capitalization OF ran
Z
the last session. but favorable action was
not taken upon it
In his letter 20 Mr.. Smilh: tne Tresl-
dent inclcsed copies Of the speech ne
made at Raleigh y, c.. October l9. 1919.
and the one he delivered before a deiesa-
tion of railroad employees In ms CITY on
November IL 1905. together With his lae
message 20 Congress at the beginning
of the first and second sessions OF the laSc
Congress. The President coneludeS MS
letter To Mr.. Smith as follows
Has Nothing More to Say.
You will see IN the two speeches and
tho two messages that have said about
all that I would say If I spoke nov. AS
/ said TO your body the other day. have
already expressed again and again my
carefully thought-out beliefs, | am more
firmly than ever convinced that these
beliefs arc wise and that the policy rec
commended In my message Mt the opening
of each Of the last regular sessions or
Congress must be carried out. Just st
the moment ] do not see that | nave
much to add to what have alrea9y SalH
and l think that what has occurred since
7 wrote the two messages In question
merely Illustrates In striking fashion ths
desirabillty Of the course l therein cut
These portions of his speeches and mes
sases which the President marked are as
follows. ,,.,
In his address al Raleisn the i'es4uei''
- Go not believe in Government owner
ship OF anything which can with proprietY
he left in private hands, and in partiou-
lar / should most strenuously object 10
Government ownership ~ railroads. Bqt
] believe with equal frmness that ~ ts
out OF the question for the GovernmSnt
MOI 10 exercise supervisory and reeu!a-
tory right over the railroads; Tor ~ ls
vital 10 the we'll being OF the pubic that
they should be managed In spirit or
fairness and Justice toward the punic-
Actual experience has shown that II ls
not possible 10 leave the railroeds uncon-
trolIed Such system, or rather sucn
q lack of system. is fertile in abuses or
every kind and puts premium upon uW-
scyIIrulous and ruthless cunning In rail-
-ood management: for there ere some DIG
SINNERS and some railroad managers VINO
arc always willing to take unfair adNan-
tage of their weaker Sompeutors ana mo 'pgg biS.
railroad men who would like TO be decent
into similar acts Of wrong and injustice.
under penalty OF being LEFT bennd IN the
roco for success. Government supervision
is needed quite as much m the intereeI
OF rhe big shipper and on the ralIroSo
manager VINO wants W u" ilsno ss "S I,, ~ 80, 90
interest Of the small shipper ana the con-
Present Laws Defective.
"F7xporience has shown that The present
laws are defective and need arnendnent;
The effort to prohibit all restraint or
competition whether reasonable or un-
reasonable is unwise. What we need ~
TO have some admins tratlye 9o1y WIN WIN
is hurtful TO the public and TO prevent
ravoritism 10 one individual at the eN-
penSc of another. IN other WoIps' W"
want an administrative body with the
mower 10 secure fair and just treatment
ae among all shippers who use the rail-
roodsEand all shippers have right 10
use them.
I'm my Judgment the most important
thing Ia do lis To give 10 this adminiS-
fratfve body power TO make its findings
effective and this can he done only BY
yiving IL tower, when complaint Is made
OF a given rats as being unjust or unreal
sonable II It finds the complaint proper
then Itself 10 hX maximum rate which
II regards as just and reasonable. this