The Washington times., 1907-11-12
RAILROADS RENEW
FIGHT ON REFORMS
Publicity Bureau" Put to
Work Circulating Right
Kind" of Literature.
Object Is to. Create Senti-
ment Against Presidents
Message Demands.

The publicity bureau" Of the railroads
and trusts is at work 10 head OF the
legislative program Of President Roose-
welt.
Literature Of the fright kind" is being
circulated extensively from different
cities. designed 10 combat certain par
ucular demands that the President is
expected 10 voice in his message. One
OF these Is the naturalization of great
corporations. another the making OF an
official physical valuation Of the rail-
roads.
1t has been declared that tne railroads
spent a round S2,O00. 900 in circulating lit
erature and organizing public opinion in
opposition 70 the Hepburn measure
when that proposition was pending For
two years a campaign OF publicity such
as has never been known outside the
national campaign Of 1895 was carried on
by the literary bureaus Of the railroads.
Most OF the work was done from chi
cago, but subsidiary bureaus were eS-
tablished in ether cities.
Copies of Document Received.
In view Of the lanentable failure OF
that campaign. It has caused much Won
der In Washington that the anti-Admin-
istratlon interests are again taking up
the tainted news" expedient. But
copies Of numerous documents have
been received by officials watching the
drift OF things, which show wat Is
going on.
Especially is the proposal to make a
valuation Of the railroads 70 be brought
under criticism. 1t is urged that such
a thing as a valuation Of the railroads
is inherently impossible; that nobody
can tell or find out what tney are
worth. This seems funny TO the Inter
state Commerce Commission but II Is
seriously presented. Further, II IS urged
by opponents that a valuation, If 1t
could be made, would be dangerous be-
cause demagogues would take IL as the
basis from which to initiate all sorts OF
attacks on the values OF railroad secuTl-
ties. Still another class argues that II
would be very expensive, and when IN
tsaed absolutely useless,
Issue Will Be Large One.
1t Is recognized that whether the
president IN his message asks for a
valuation or not. the issue win be large.
Ia Toilette is ready TO force considera-
ton OF It at every possible opportunity,
and Senator Deliver of Iowa Is reported
TO have been spending much of his va
cation IN work on II, being convinced
that something Of the kind must soon be
added to the railroad legislation.
The Interstate Commerce Commission,
with perhaps the exception or one mem
Der, believes the valuation ought TO be
made. The Senate Committee on FL
nance aud the Senate Committee on In
terstate Commerce win turn up strongly
opposed TO such policy. The House
Committee on Rules will likewise just
as earnestly oppose such a measure I'M
less the President and Speaker Cannon
include II in their protocol for the gov
eminent OF the sessions business. Thus
Tar Il is understood they have not got
together and made terms.
VIII Stand With President.
The House Committee on Interstate
Commerce Is likely 10 be for 8 EalHa
ton bill Colonel Hepburn. its CHAIR
man, has strongly declared himself on
some kindred points, and II is believed
viii line Up for the valuation. But he
will go no step beyond the demands OF
the President, and viii not be found
asking the committee 10 push out such
q bill unless the President is committed
to II and uses pressure to get 10.
The constitutional lawyers are going
TO be buster than ever before. The
early bureau literature shows this 1t
demonstrates the unCOnstituuOnality of
pretty much everything proposed on any
subiect-Federal Incorporation, Federal
license, valuation of railroads. and con-
troll of capitalization by the General
Government