Arizona republican., 1907-09-28
PHoENIX ARIZ.. SEPT. 2S. 1907.
DEEDS FIRST, WORDS LAST.

DEEDS T., L-AS1
 The dispatches of Thursday night informed us that Interstate Commerce Commissioner Lane who is now in Los Angeles would probably visit Arizona on his way east to investigate com plaints from this territory which had been laid before the commission. That must have been somewhat reassuring to the complainants who were thus led to hope that their grievances were at least about to be investigated.
 We do not know whether the action of the commission will proceed beyond the investigation stage. So far in other localities it has not done so. No final orders have been made when the com mission had reason to believe that the railroads would resist them and all prosecutions for alleged violations of the law governing railroads have been abandoned.
 MT. Lane yesterday. in an interview regarding a rumor that indictments had been found at San Francisco against officials of the Southern Pa cific and the Pacific Mail Steamship company took occasion to say that the transportation companies may as well understand first as last that there is to be no trifling with the provisions of the Hepburn law" and we are here to enforce it." Would it not have been
 !. .Ta We have enforced it?" But being un- able at present to do that. wouldn't it be the next best thing to withhold all statements regarding intentions until he should be prepared to say some thing like that? Caesar We believe, did not say T am about to come; am about to see; I am about to conquer.
 The interstate commerce commission has somewhat impaired its usefulness and shaken public confidence by an overmuch public statement or its pur- poses all of which remain to be carried out. At first the word was accepted for the deed but words which do not fructify soon cease to be of account.
 The loquacity of those charged with the enforcement of the laws is not confined to MT. Lane. It has come to pervade all departments of the govern ment which have to do with the pros ecution of offenders from the attorney general of the United States down. There are signs that the people of this country are beginning to distinguish men who do things" from men who merely say they are going to do them.
 Mir. Lanes observation regarding the inviolability of the Hepburn law is not a particularly appropriate one since there has so far been no earnest move ment on the part of the commission to punish alleged violators of that law. Those who have run against its numer- ous provisions have not been prosecut- ed under that law. The rebate cases even those which have originated since August 29 of last year have all been prosecuted under the old Elkins law which Senator Foraker declared during the rate bill debate to be sufficient for all purposes. Only last week the gov ernment itself opposed the effort of a railroad company to force it to rely upon the Hepburn law cOntending that that law had repealed the Elkins law. A federal judge averted the necessity of the governments reliance upon the Hepburn act by holding that the Elkins law, c- so much Us it as had not been expressly repealed by the rate law. was still in force.
 MT. Lane is We believe a very es- timable gentleman, a godsend to news paper reporters. correspondents and in- reviewers generally.