The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-04-23
HOW We CONTROL
THE RAILROADS
Subject or ADDRESS BY SENN-
roR KNOX BEFORE CIVIC
FORUM IN NEh YORK
NO STATE AUTHORITY
Remains and National Government
Has Made All Necessary Laws
To Compel Proper Conduct
e
In All Departments

New York, April 22.-senator Knox
addressed the Civic Forum tonight on
.rhe People. Railroads and Natlohai
Authority" ;.
ua traced the history Of great III
terstate railr- ads and sho"eu 'n'''
they had been the wards and peiie
aciaries of the fedral government,
that from the beginning state cohtroi
over them has been progressively ieSS'
ened aud that national control p'o-
oraesively increased to point Where
thn last yestige of local authorHy'
axcept in matters comparatively ul'
imnortaut and local in their bearings
has been swept away and the nation
nj power declared paramount MI
Knox said in part;
"In the year 1909, and for some time
previously railroad and other corpor'
ate abuses were fragrant and VIDE
spread and much confusion existed as
IN the state of the law eoncernins
them. Crave doubts had been eN'
pressed by committees Of congress
and other high authorities as To the
mower of congress under the constr
,tion to defeat new and subtle plans
hringing .under a single contro'
II producing and Transports
.arporations of the country, and
% reach the cunning devices employ
MaAMt ia nrefer one shipper over another
oreanization Of the Northern Sc
n11R, ,,rities company to throttle railroad
.xnmDetition in the Northwest, and thf
&act that the large beef packers anf
.grain dealers in the middles west ma
entered into Illegal arrangements Wit
the railroads for rebates and disclm
mating advantages in transportation
which gave them a complete mohot
DIV of business formerly enjoyed D.
n large number of persons distributes
over the entire country, developed
situation in the early days Of tn
Roosevelt administration whlch II
ouired prompt action along new an
and untriad lines. The first importan
act of the administration affecting
this subject was its declaration ina
tbe plenary power Of congress owe
all kinds of transportation and its il
strumentalities had not been eXhans
ed nv the Sherman Antitrust law nc
nv the interstate commerce act al
the announcement that steps Wou
no taken at once to secure interpr
tations of all existing laws, with
view of confning the theory OF ii
completeness of the federal power
applied to the situation and as a gui'
in considering the necessity for ne
legislation
pursuing this policy the monopoli
created by secret and pseferenu
rates for railroad transportation we
successfully attn cked i'm suits
equity to enjoin the violation of t
law against rebates and discrimir
tious. thereby establishing for I
first time the right of the Attorn
General to appear in a court OF equ
in behalf of large numbers of peol
and sections Of the country affect
nv a violation of law. In these cas-
the great remedy of injunction "
emploved to enforce popular righ
The government also succeeded
branding as outlaws the combnatl(
of independent corporations to l1X 9
maintain extortionate prices of mes
made possible through illegal arran
ments with the railroads. and dr'
them when confronted in court W
overwhelming evidences of guilt.
av ia the protection of demurrer
nrevent the revelation cf the eVide
that the government had collec
with unsparng pains to establish
lations of the law.
ain the suggestions made by the
ninistration to congress at its req'
respecting new Legislation 1t eAp'
" disavowed the purpose oil ahho'
ing A complete scheme OF gov
mental regulation of rallroads
combinations. but made certain 81
ec suggestions which it thought WI
greatly improve the situation
"The specific recommendat
were these: A practical and ell
i've law to punish the persons re'
ing rebates as we'll as those pa
them: a law to empower the req
Courts to issue iniunctions at the
of the Attorney General of the "
states to prevent rebates: law
ing it unlawful to transport tram
carriers subject to the "act to reg
commerce" at any rate whatever
than such carriers published raj
law to enable the government tf
at all the facts bearing unon n
ganization and practices of CONF
engaged in interstate and 70
commerce. and law to secure 81
decisions of cases under the anti
and interstate commerce laws.