The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-23
Congressman McCaII Talks op Railroad Matters $
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RATE LAW IS CRITICISED
Congressman Declares That Events Are Leading Rapidly Toward Gov ernment Ownership of Rail-
 ways-Fears Disaster.

Marshfeld, Mass, August 22.-Congress- man Samuel w. Mccall addressed a large crowd at the Marshhed fair grounds to- day, saying in part:
 One of the United States judges has just imposed a fine of such proportions that 1t allies itself with the tribute which a victorious nation imposes upon a van Quished foe, a fine that probably is not greatly exceeded by the aggregate of all other fines imposed by our federal courts since the establishment of the govern ment. The offense was the receiving of a discriminating rate from a railroad company. Whether the fine was right or wrong or whether an ordinary shipper would have been even subjected to pros ecution upon the exact facts of this case, I shall not argue As Mir. Bonaparte IS not engaged in sinking the constitution this year, but announces that he is after game" he might be willing to take what ever came But I allude to the matter simply for the purpose of calling your attention to our railroad legislation.
 Remedy Is Ignored.
 'rhree years ago Congress was asked to confer upon an executive department the power to ike railroad rates as remedy for railroad discrimination. At that time there reposed upon the statute books the very act against rebates and discrimination under which this thirty million dollare fine has been imposed statute so sweeping that it not merely prohibits beyond the question the giving or the accepting of discriminatory rate, but which. the law offices of the gov ernment now content. subjects a shipper to a heavy penalty even where he ac- cepts rate in absolute good faith, and with no reason to believe he is getting an illegal rate The question suggests itself why old rates were enforced, rather than new ones demanded.
 "The practice in government of ex- pending the maximum amount of noise and disturbance to secure the minimum of good may be diverting, but it Is cost ly. It obliterated a great foreign trade in packed meats in order to get legis- lation which every packer wanted. As to the improvements fin meat they are mainly seen in the removal of the de- fects existing in the imaginations of some sociologists and in the consequent silence of those gentlemen. And then, too, we have with us the noble army of well paid federal inspectors.
 Progress Is Stopped.
 This procedure has been followed in securing the railroad Legislation. do not refer to the Ell1ins statute which Is doing business today, but l refer to this rate bill. l believe that the populistic a gitation started far more than the leg islation which resulted, and has finan- cially and industrially injured the coun- try. Railroad building has been ef- fectively stopped. If a similar public sentiment had been aroused sixty years ago many of our great commonwealths would today be. unsettled and be still under the domain of the buffalo and wolf.
 prophets of disaster were not want ing two years ago, of whom, l confess I was one, who predicted some of the evil results that are now beginning to appear We are pretty near the edge of A financial setback. Economically an industrial crisis at this time would be senseless and wanton, but we shouid already have had one if our prosperity had not been wellnigh invulnerable. There is a likelihood, too, that the step that has been taken will some day lead to the ownership of railroads by the on the principle that he who fixes the price of a commodity will ultimately own it."