The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-11
commodity clause of Hepburn Law.

Commodity Clause of Hepburn Law.
The charge is as follows:
On page 6532, volume 40 of the Rec
give the railroads the. longest possible
time to get rid of their coal lands. by
which they wrest tribute from the peo-
pie and crush competition in COAL
This Is mistake, as no vote what
ever appears on page 6532 of volume Az
Of the Record. The proceedings there
recorded relate to the consideration OF
the naval appropriation bill in the
house.
The bill referred to in this paragraph,
however, was voted upon by me on
page $50 of the Record. 1t was I'M
derstood that a provision should be in
corporated into the bill prohibiting
railroads from transporting coal and
other commodities for commercial pur-
poses, where they owned the coal or
other commodity. The controversy
arose as to when this provision should
go into effect. Senator Elkins offered
ed an amendment providing that this
provision should take effect at the time
of the passage of the bill. 1t was then
proposed to have it take effect July 1,
1911, and then May 1, 1909. I voted for
May l, 1903. believe that that much
time should be given the railroads to
dispose of their coal lands and other
commodities which they owned. That
amendment was carried. but later an
other amendment was offered in which
the date was fixed at May l, 1908. The
bill became a law with this latter date
in the provision. What has been the
effect of this legislation? 1t was as
certained that the time was too short
and that the railroads did not have
sufficient time to dispose of their coal
properties. A joint resolution was in
troduced by Senator Elkins in the last
session proposing to extend the time
to January 1, 1910, when the penalties
and fines imposed by the act should
take effect. The interstate commerce
commission recommended this extern
sion to the president, who also favored
the legislation. So it would have been
better to have taken the date in the
bill which I favored, May 1, 1909, for
the extension recently recommended
by the commission was longer than the
date voted for. This is another in
stance where time has demonstrated
the wisdom of a vote which cast and
for which 1 was criticized at the time,
but I submit that 1t comes with poor
grace from Mr.. White and Mr.. Bris-
tow to criticize me now for my vote
then, when all now admit that the time
originally fixed in the bill was too short.
The Long and Short Haul.
This is the charge: o.
"On page 6571 he is found voting
against empowering the interstate COM
termine how the long and short haul
principle shall be applied. Wall street
desired to have no meddling in the
name of justice. So Long voted with
Wall street." =
This was an amendment proposed to
the Hepburn rate bill prohibiting a
common carrier from charging a great
err compensation for shorter than for
a longer haul The amendment was
defeated by a vote Of 25 yeas to ,46
nays, and is found on page SSH. 1 voted
against this amendment and will con-
tinue to vote against this proposition
as long as I remain in congress. No
proposition could be enacted into law
that would deal such a death-blow to
the prosperity Of Kansas. Kansas is
in the center Of the continent; it's
prosperity has heretofore depended to
large extent, and will continue to de-
pend in the future upon special rates
made by the railroads, by which lower
charges are made for a longer haul
than for short haul included within
the long haul. 1t is these special rates
which could not be given If, the reduc-
ton Of rate was prohibited. Special
rates make 1t possible for the wheat,
corn, cattle and hogs of Kansas to be
placed upon distant markets in COM
petition with similar products raised
nearer these centers. 1t is these spec
ial rates made by the railroads which
have made the existence of the Touring
mills Of Kansas possible, by giving
their products rates that enable them
to sell their flour in distant cities and
foreign markets. 1t is these special
rates that has given Kansas and states
similarly situated a virtual monopoly
of wheat and corn raising, and has &C.
casioned so many abandoned farms on
the hills of the New England and other
eastern states. 1t is these special rates
that has made 1t possible to have the
manufactured products Of the east laid
down at Missouri river points almost
as cheaply as they can be laid down at
Pittsburg, Buffalo and Cincinnati. 1t
Is true that in certain cases it appears
that the present provisions of the long
and short haul may work an injustice
to some Of the people of Kansas, but
taken altogether, no provision of any
law at any time would be 50 detri-
mental to the people of the state of
Kansas as to require the railroads of
this country to make their charges on
the basis of SO much per ton per mile.
Kansas is the one state in all the union
that would be wrecked and ruined by
such d law as this. This was the pro-
position involved in the LaFollette
amendment, against which voted.
The Interstate commerce commission
has the power now to determine wheth-
er particular rate is in and of itself
unjust and unreasonable. Many of
these rates have been lowered as the
result Of complaints filed with the In
terState commerce commission since
the Hepburn bill was passed, but an at
tempt to fix the minimum rates Of SER
vice as well as the maximum, should
be opposed by every representative
from the interior of the United States.
Jail Sentence for Rebaters.
This is the charge:
'On page 6627-29 Long is found vot-
ing against a Jail sentence for. rebaters
always to make it easy for law-break-
ers who are rich.''
I voted for a penitentiary sentence
for such violators Of the law One
amendment was offered by Senator La
Toilette and another by Senator Lodge.
The vote on page 6627 was on substitute