Middletown transcript., 1907-02-09
WASHINGTON LETTER

w ASHfEGfUN4 ~. Ass HcutAat4 1tAl a 0uas
II is practically settled thai the President
! viii recommend no additional railroad
legislation ct the present abort session.
This deeisioH 10 hailed with ; certain
amonnt Of relief BY many Of the biz
railroad interests. al Of which have theil
Representatives In Congress, but they
recognize it distinctly ss rspFieye and
nota pardon. Effective regulation of the
4 railroads has beceme TOO settled part Of
i the Presidents policy to be lightly
dropped. He has made up his mind TO-
see regulations that win regulate In f6rcs
! before he leaves the White Hoass, and
she various reports the Interstsss ComsI
tnerce Commission and Bureau Of Gorpor-
alton have made It plain enough that
such Iegisla.fonis badly needed But the
times are delicate. The President wants
10 nominate hissown successor, or at leHst
TO make sure that some man does NOT
succeed him; " lAo will make all ofsl,is re-
forms Ineffective by falling TO follow them
up. He, therefore, 10 anxious not to an
sagUhize sons of the powerful men ID
Congress upon whom he has 10 rely in 3
measure for support. Also such serious
legislation as he contempIstes cannot in
| it's very nature be enacted hurriedly, and
the present short session gives no chance
for deliberation. Among the matters
shown to.be urgently in need Of reform.
are not only the rates, but the distribu-
tion of cars, the relations between the
railroads and the grain elevators, the
safety Of passengers. and perhaps more
than all, the intimate and yacions reia-
tlons between many of the railroads and
the Standard Oil Company. 90 much Of
whose money is invested in the control OF
their stock The report OF the Ihtefstafe
Commerce Commission on some Of these
mstters has already been finished. It has
given the President food for reflection.
He contemplates sending TO the Gommis-
sion letter fully discussing the problem
and asking their views on-remedial iegis-
lation. This letter is likely to become 8
historic document. Several conferences
have been held already between the Pres
dent and the Chairman OF the Interstate |
Commerce Commission, and il is prob
able that when legislation finally is rec
commended, 1t will take more or less the
form OF the Newlands resolution, which |
when it was introduced last spring, Was |
thought 10 be entirely too radical This |
resolution, it may be remembered, pro-
yides for Federal control Of railroad stock |
based upon the actual valuation Of the
roads material resources. It provides, |
accidentally, for unlimited pooling, If the
railroads 80 eiect, but il draws Their :taHes |
completely by restricting the am5ont Of
interest that may be obtai6ed on their |
properly appraised stock, devotlag the
residue 70 equally distributed taxes aud 20
sinking Eund.
~
While the que tioRsof railroad aiegislA- |
tioh may be dropped for the present.
there is another subject somewhat allied |
20 It and OF equal importance from tie |
Presidents poiut Of view, which probably
win be forced to an issue at this ssssloa.
tits the passage Of an effective audgbili |
which win reserve 20 the people bt the |
country something like 100, ,0O0. 600 hcses |
ofaeoal and oil lands and preNedt their |
ahserptionsby corporations who wish 10
hold them merely to restrict abe oatpas |
and enhancsprices. Its sisted that abdnt
/, 600, 600 acfeso of these lands from Tie
public domain have siready becnAentersd
upon and many Of them doubtless. are
nov bsyohd she reach oi the government |
Uhqnestio there have been gross
ira6dsin many ofthsse coal land cases, ,and
posaibiysth governments will able to
RECOVER q pavtsof what it.has already loss.
The scheme for withdfa%ing ttese lands
contemplases holding themin perpstnity
in the name Of the United States, and
and leasing them to private parties to be
worked and their products sold at maxi
mum price which shall be fixed by the
general government. Senator La Toilette
has been much interested IN such meas
ure and tried TO get through a bill cover
ing these points earlier il the session, but
there was certain objections to his meas
lfure, and II has been side tracked for the
present.
II