Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-21

time to take up everything coming from
the District committee. and must accept
virtually what the committee recon-
mends.
Now. how embarrassing it is when
Congress or committee of Congress.
even the present committee of conference
of both houses, has to consider mat
ters pertaining to the franchise corpora
tioEs here whose emoluments grow out
of grants of legislation. to find high off,
Gals of this government stockholders in
these very corporations. 1t is very en-
barrassing. 1t is not unlawful for them
to hold these stocks 1t is not unlawful
for member of the House or a mem
Der of the Senate to be stockholder in
| these franchise corporations here. but it.
is exceedingly embarrassing. One of these
companies is but little short of a mOnop-
olistc trust. 1t combines in its owner
ship a number of street car companies.
as we'll as the Electric Light and Power
Company.
What do l find in reading over this
list of stockholders here? In the Capital
Traction Company one Senator is report
ed as the owner of over 1900 shares in
his name. These are reports made to Con-
gress. l am telling no secrets and disclos-
ing nothing that you do not or cannot
knew. That stock is worth $12O per share.
That Senat tor is a member of the Dis
trict committee of the Senate. and yields
one thirteenth of the legislative power of
that body. and appears as the owner of
poration that Congress controls L have
nothing to- say about him except to COM
mend him. He has the courage to have
the stock in his own name.
Secretary Loeb Discussed.
What else? Why. last fall the papers
we're full of the story that another gentle
man in high official station. who must
necessarily have great influence in legis-
lation. had become a large stakeholder
in the Washington Electric Railway
Company. which company owns the cleo
trio light and power company. Who was
he? William Loeb. jr. of New York.
Who is William Loeb. and what are his
qualifications for Office? The newspapers
show that he was elected a director of
| this company. and the newspapers further
say that he is to be president of the
company. The report, which Is sworn to.
shows that he owns 400 shares of the
stock of the Washington Electric Railway
Company. which owns the electric light
| and power company, that sells its service
to the government of the United States.
to the amount of about $4,000 for public
lighting.
After reading a biographical sketch of
Mr., Loeb Mr.. Sims continued:
His whole qualifications are those of
stenographer. This fits him for the quail
ficatiOns of a private secretary. and l un-
derstand he is one of the most efficient
that ever served a President. But why
should he be made a director and men,
toned for the presidency of a corporation
that in part sells its services to the gov
eminent of the United States and is regu-
lated alone by the laws of Congress?
What do you think about it when we are
| confronted with proposition like this:
Is it not embarrassing? Now. it Is not
unlawful to own these shares of stock:
but suppose the private secretary of the
| Speaker Of the House should own 1t. or
suppose our own private secretaries
owned stock? Well: why not? If it is
| right for one member of legislative
body to hold stock i'm a public service
| corporation it is right for all.
Conferees Hampered.
us it a decent and proper thing for the
secretary to the President of the United
States, and that President who, above all
his predecessors, if possible. has made
the highest character for absolute and
unquestionable honesty. who has brought
dishonesty in high places low and humili-
| ated it. in the s-eyes of the world? And
yet his secretary is a director of pub
lie service corporation in this District.
where Congress alone legislates and con-
trolls it. 1t is not. unlawful. but. my God,
how 1t restraints and enpbarrasses con-
fierce when he is trying to do something
| for the people here. who have no vote
and no legislative power.
| Are we going to stand here and let
l.
thominally independent. but really work
ing together. say We defy you?,
They have repealable charters. l say
to them. We will repeal your. scharters
| and we will charter a new company. and
| that new company will have restrictions
| on it, and one of them will be that no
officer of the government of the United
| States will be stockholder or director
| in it,
| IF it is right for one member of Con-
gress to own stock. it rs right for al. II
| it is right for the secretary to the Presi-
dent of the United States. on the pay roll
be director in public service :corpor-
| alton which is. selling part of its service
to the government. it is right for every
| secretary of every cabinet officer to do
| Now. what would we look like? If 1t is
right to own part Of the stock 1t Is right
to own it all. If this is right let us rass
| a law that will bear the sock. buy 1t in.
| feather our nests and replenish our pock-
cts. Let it be distributed among all OF
u.s. How long. do you think We would be
| in this body or In the other?
Personal Attack Not Intended.
| II am not making a personal attack
| upon these gentlemen. God knows / do
| not want to; but a sense of duty compels
me to tell the truth. even if 1t is bitter.
even If it is hard. This matter stands too
high for personal friendship or personal
| like or dislike to stand in the way.
| Now. Mr.. Speaker. as a conferee do
not need any instruction. I will stand for
| these provisions. 4 few mornings ago I
| saw a woman a street car. with a
| strap in one hand and child in the
other. who could not get a seat Yet these
| corporations. which perpetrate such out
| RACES. are mainta ned. paid and sustained
by the powers given by this Congress. l
want to look the member of this House
! i'm the face who will vote to send the
street car tracks down there to that sta
ton without these provisions. with the alb
| solute knowledge beforehand that it
| means we will never touch them again. SO
| far as service regulation is concerned. or
| so far as a reduction of fares is con-
cerned You do not have to instruct me.
| am going to stand out for these proyis-
| ions until this Congress ends, if the Union
station goes down with it,
House Stands Firm.
| Representative Madden of Illinois. au-
| thor of the original universal free trans
| fers bill of last session. also urged the
House to stand firm. and that body
| showed its temper by sending the track
age bill back to conference by a practi-
| cally unanimous vote.
Sent Back to the Senate.
The Union station trackage bill was
| sent back to the Senate today by the