Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-01-08
AT WAR
WITH COMMISSION
interstate Body and Roads Ii Des.
pePa|s Struggle for Mastery
Under Rate Law.
MANY GRAVE QUESTIONS FACED
President Roosevelts Policy Toward
the Great Trusts Involved in Con.
observation-disclosures Suspect Rail.
road Men of Efforts to Make the
New Regulating Law Unpopular.
fRv Associated Press.)

When Channcey NJ. Depew was uues
tionel, twenty years ago, about the
effect OF the proposed railroad COM
mission law for New York by a leg
islative committee in Albany he re-
piled:
Either the commission will own
the railroads or the railroads will
own the commission"
a similar struggle for ascendency,
only thousandfold wider and more
important. is now being waged he.
tween the great transportation lines
ana the Interstate Commerce Commits.
sion under the new rate regulation
law.
An illustration of the powers OF
The Commission is shown in the I'm.
vestigation now being made into the
operation OF the Union Pacific and
other railroads under the control of
Edward III. Harlan. Comments made
on this inquiry by Senators and Re
representatives. show they realize fully
that great test is coming between
the Roosevelt administration and the
capitalists of the country, to which
the Northern Securities Company suit
| and the Standard Oil prosecutions
were only the prelude.
Ii Is repeatedly remarked here that
II the administration can, through the
interstate Commerce Commission,
| nress It's investigation home and show
that Mr.. Hartman and those associat.
ed with him are violating the law.
the next step that must be taken, in
obedience to the public OPINION Great.
ed, is to proceed and subdiyide into
us original parts the great system
that Mr.. Hartman has welded to.
| gether.
Facing Momentous Questions.
If this be done the next step, ac-
| cording to members of Congress, will
| brlng the administration face to face
with the proposition whether 1t will
adopt the policy OF William j. Bryan.
declared in his Madison Square Gard.
en- speech last August. of DESTROYING
the trusts, root and branch"
| President Roosevelts policy hereto
fore has been to regulate the trusts
and make them obey the law without
destroying them. He has looked upon
industrial combination as a good
thing If not used to Cypress the pub
lie The gravest expressions are
heard from prominent men here as
to how far the present crusade will
swerve the President from his former
policy. If 1t fails to change conditions
In transcontinental railroading, he
NAV have to confess defeat, and this
would be taken to mean that the
| raiiroads mad made Roadway against
the powers of the commission.
The Interstate Commerce Commits.
sion is just now occupying a unique
position. 1t was created for the con
troll and regulation of interstate com.
merce under certain restrictions.
Its powers have been enlarged, and
1t Is now the detective of the Depart.
ment of Commerce and Labor and the
| Department of Justice. and some.
times OF the Interior Department.
An investigation, aimed at the con-
troll of mineral and coal lands by
companies auxiliary to the Union Pa
cific Railroad and the Gould lines
was recently conducted by Commits
sioner p. z. Clark in Salt Lake and
was understood to be sort of omen.
Ing gun In the ripping up" of the
Union Pacific.
This inquiry was held through a
Joint understanding with the Depart.
ment of Justice and the Interior De-
partment. The latter department had
sought to get at the facts of the fraud |
llent entry of coal lands and the De-
partment of Justice was eager to get
evidence for criminal prosecution. |
the discoveries made by Mr.. Clark
were or n sensational character. and
u Is said suits will be based upon
me evidence brought to light by him
~ Inquiries Under Way.
me commission. only few DAYS
ago, closed an investigation of the
ear shortage. and 1t now has under
way searching inquiry into the
causes OF the frequent disasters on
railroads, despite the operation of the
Mk system and other safety de-
Another matter the commission will
-. .ane up Is the great increase of CAPT.
'al stock of railroads. the a,eat in.
crease in dividends and the failure nf
~ corresponding benefit to the tray.
eller and shipper in n reduction Of
rates for passengers and freight
All the time these Investigations
nave been going on the Commission
mas been flooded with G3peals of all
sorts from shippers and Others for
redress of grievances.
meantime a thousand ouestione 90
10 Interpretation of the new rate law
are coming up for decision. The rail.
road ana the shipper must both he
neard; questions of water and rail.
road routes must be considered; mat.
ters connected with the ocean trans
Eortation and through foreign bills cf
aa,hg are waiting for adjustment.
ana many persons. seeing that rates
are not falling and that cars are hard
10 get, are beginning to blame the
M Commission Suspects Roads.
INerG Ia conflict lotn,n -.