Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-10
SHIPPERS AND RAILROADS
Interests Join Issues in Manufactures
Banquet in Chicago.
BROWN SPEAKS FOR THE LATTER
New York Central Man says Higher
Rates Are Needed--Mr. Barber says
He Takes Cue from r.
r. Barnum.

CHICAGO, Dec. a.-The issue between the
shippers of the country and the railroads,
which. broadly, is said to be whether the
pillow follows the locomotive, or the locomo-
tive the pillow, was Joined at the annual
banquet Of the Illinois Manufacturers as
ISOLATION here tonight. w. G. Brown, senior
vice president of the New York Central
lires. delivered an elaborate plea for the
participation Of the railroads In the coun-
try's prosperity. while Ohio c. Barber OF
Akron, O.. president of the Diamond Match
company, vehemently asserted that instead
Of contemplating decreased freight rates
which perhaps ultimately win go, by means
of some American heiress, to "enrich for
eign noblemen." the roads should be cal
culating how great a reduction they should
in fairness make to shippers.
Mr.. Barber in his address referred several
times to Mr.. Brown. declaring that the
latter in his attempts to educate the pubic
to a belief that higher rates are mecca
sary, perhaps Is taking his cue from the
late p. T.. Barnum. who said the public
was fond of being h~umbugged."
william H.. Vanderbilt" said Mr.. Bar
Der. who succeeded his father, the COM
modore, with the latter's brain and ability,
recognized the public with the words. the
public be damned and the public has been
damned ever since by one scheme and an
other emanating from the brains of men
Of his own ilk and force"
Mr.. Barber declared that at the begin
ming of the panic of last winter the rai,-
roads accentuated the result of the panic
in every direction, and tried to blame con-
ditions on President Roosevelt"
Commission In ImpOtent.
1T seems to me- said the speaker, that
the Interstate Commerce commission is alb
solutely impotent in protecting fully the
interest Of the public. The railroad has
become so great a part of the business of
the country that there is no power In law
that can control it. They 0ne railroads)
in turn control the legislation and prevent
legal actions by the overpowering weights
Of their influence and the expense of It'll
CATION against them"
Mr.. Barber in closing declared that the
only remedy for correcting the evils Of
tons act, with the railroads all in one cor
p~oration and a government guaranty of 4
per cent on the stock, which never there
after should be increased.
Mr.. Browns address presented a careful
review Of the increase in price of every
commodity within the last ten years, save
alone freight rates, which he said had
Jagged behind.
He said that II the expenditures of the
railroads for 1907 could have been made at
prices obtaining in 1897 the railroads Of the
country would have saved S676, 0OO,O 90. He
confirmed the charge made a year ago that
from 1898 to 1908 freight rates had been ad-
vanced on S7 articles, but he added that
in the same time they had. been reduced
on SIC articles, and that the net result was
a reduction in rates of 1O.6 per cent.
Mr.. Brown concluded by declaring the
interests of the shippers and railroads
Identical. but asserted that the railroads
were the only class of business that had
not been permitted to advance prices.
President Upham's Address.
President Upham issued a warning to
the railroads, asserting his belief that If
the railroads did not act fairly public senti-
ment would demand amendments of the
rate law which would take from the car
riers all initiative in the fixing of rates
He said that shippers should aid the rail-
roads in legally eliminating obnoxious
clauses of the Sherman antitrust law and
that they should not object to the rail-
reads pooling their traffic under certain
restrictions, Mr.. Upham assured his hear
ers that President-Elect Taft proposed
giving calm and judicial consideration and
a fair determination of all the traffic
problems that confront the country.