Omaha daily bee., 1908-02-03
WORK ON RATE AGREEMENTS
New Law Covering This Phase of
Railway Problems Probable.
PRESENT STATUTES CONTRADICT
Leaders In Congress Are Ready to
Begin Consideration of subject
NOnDartisan TarIR Com
mission Urged.

WASHINGTON, Feb 2.-There is a dis
position to single out among the subjects
discussed in the presidents special mes
sage to congress the recommendation as
to railway traffic associations as one on
which early legislation may be attempted.
The leaders in congress- as well as the
president and influential railway men,
have long recognized the contradictory
character of the present laws. Tho prcsl-
dent has repeatedly called attention to the
fact that the Hepburn law and the Cullom
law, which IT superseded, are both based
upon the theory that there ought to he
equal, or at least equitably. adjusted rates
on the different routes serving the same
or competitive communities, but that in
spite OF the general recognition of this
truth. the interstate commerce law and
the Sherman antitrust law, as construed
by the supreme court, have made unlawful
the only simple and efficacious method of
bringing about such adjustments
The Interstate Commerce commission as
early as 1894 was strongly In favor of the
enactment of a law which would have per-
mitted traffic agreements. while giving the
commission limited supervision over their
operation. The present opinion of the
NOiilllilSSiuH - iheillltdl WNl ludl eApItSSeu
in the year 1900 in its fourteenth annual
report.
With these opinions so strongly held by
the president and other republican authori-
ties, and with strong desire for greater
latitude in this direction on the part of the
principal railway carriers, those who are
likely to take the lead in any legislation
on the subject see no reason why'a reason
able statute authorizing traffic agreements
should not be enacted without very ma
terial delay.
VIII Urge Tari6 COmmiasion.
James w. Van Cleave of st. Louis. presl-
dent of the National Association of Manu-
facturers, arrived i'm Washington today for
the purpose of comforting with President
Roosevelt Senator Aldrich and Speaker
Cannon on the subject of enacting the
Beveridge bill for a non-partissn tariff
commission.
The movement, headed by President Van
Cleave, is supported by several hundred
organizations of employers and business
men, representing in the aggregate more
than 100000 members from all parts OF
the country. Following is a partial list
of the organizations which endorse the
tariff commission idea and which are send
ing special representatives to arrive in
Washington tomorrow for the purpose OF
making a demonstration In force in favor
of the appointment of a commission:
National Association of Manufacturers
National Grange, Merchants association of
New York, National Association OF Agri-
cultural tmplepent and Vehicle Msmlfao-
tufers Merchant 1aiiOrs National Pro-
tective association. American Reciprocal
Tariff league and 200 constituent organiza-
tions, Carriage Builders National associa-
tion, American Hardwood Manufacturers
association. National Retail Hardware as
sociation, National Paint. oil and Varnish
association. Millers' National association
National Live Stock association, American
Cottonseed oil association. Transmississipp
congress. Merchants Exchange ST. Louis;
of Trade, Chicago; National Boot aud
Shoe Manufacturers association and the
New York Manufacturers association.
The representatives of these organizations
will call upon President Roosevelt and
Speaker Cannon on Tuesday.
statement by Van CIeavc.
President Van Clcave tonight made the
following statement:
I'VE are urging the appointment of
tariff commission not as revisionists but
as staunch protectionists II is my own be-
lief and that of the National Association
of Manufacturers and the large number of
organizations which endorse the Immediate
appointment OF commission, that such a
commission is absolutely necessary in order
to protect the business interests of the
country from the harmful effects Of
continued partisan agitation for tariff re-
vision during the campaign.
I'VE are in hearty accord with the presi-
dent in believing that all tariff rates
should be adjusted on the basis of differ
ence in cost Of production here and abroad
and we also believe that these rates should
be adjusted with liberal allowance in ad-
q, 81
Lumber aud Cement.
In report today regarding building
operations and the timber supply. the geo
logical survey says that the increasing
price of lumber and rapidly increasing
use Of perfected fire proof systems of con-
struction should have much to do in hold
ing down the amount which forests are
called upon to yield each year, but that
so far these more substantial materials
have not decreased the lumber cut of the
nation, Notwithstanding the. remarkable
increased use of cement and other fire
proof material the last reports OF the
building operations In forty nine OF the
leading cities of the United States for the
year, collected by the geological survey
show that 50 per cent were Of wooden CON
struction. This does not include the large
quantities of lumber used for the con-
struction of dwellings, stores and other
buildings in the thousands OF small cities
and towns scattered over the country and
not included in the forty-nine cities on
which reckoning was made.
In towns and small cities wood is usually
the predominating building material and
it is safe to say that II the statistics had
included figures for all places of whatever
size, the percentage Of wooden construction
would have been much greater. These
figures. as rule, are only for the cor
porate limits.