Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-14
TAFT CABINET BUSY
MEETS WITH CHIEF TO FoRMu.
LATE SUGGESTIONS FOR LEG.
lsLATlvE PROGRAM,
AMENDMENT DESIRED TO
INTERSTATE COMMERCE LAW
Weaknesses Of Present Measure to Be
Studied, and Strengthening Clauses
Suggested to consress-This and
Corporate capitalization to Be
Pushed by Administration.
[special Correspondencel

Washington, April 14.-The program
of the Taft administration with refer
ence to amendment of the interstate
commerce law will be discussed and in
which will be held at the department
of justice on today
Those who, as result of the initia-
tive of President Taft, will meet for
this important consideration are Attor-
ney General Wickersham, Secretary of
the Interior Nagel, former Secretary
Garfield, Chairman Knapp and Com
missioner Prouty of the interstate
commerce commission and Represent
ative Townsend of Michigan.
1t will be in many ways the most
important conference of people repre-
senting the executive and legislative
departments of the government with
reference to legislative program, that
has been held since the new admins
tration came into power. The discus
sion will have to do entirely with the
legislative program of the next long
session of congress, which will begin
in December No effort will be made to
take up such questions at the specia!
session. But the meeting on Wednes-
day will represent the beginning of
series of such considerations of this
and other questions. 1t is the expect
alton of the administration that some
thing like definite program may be
agreed upon, and in all probability
legislation may be drafted before the
meeting of congress which the presi-
dent will be able to forecast in his
message, and give his Endorsement.
President Taft feels that this is one
of the most important matters that
will command the attention of his ad-
ministration. being only less important
than questions relating to the control
of capitalization of great corporations
by the government with a view to pre-
venting over capitalization. 1t is known
that he entertains tentatively some
rather radical ideas as to re-organlza-
ton of the interstate commerce COM
mission. These include a proposal to
transfer its administrative duties to
bureau of the department of commerce
and labor and make the commission
a quasi judicial body stripped of these
duties and the burdens they impose
To this plan some members of the COM
mission have given adherence, while
others do not at all indorse 1t. Messrs
Knapp and Prouty, who have been in
vited to the Wednesday conference, are
| looked upon as inclined to the plar
of re-organization. AS they are the
veteran republicans of the commission
and the only ones invited. the impress
ion is that this program is likely t
receive Endorsement.
It is proposed first to get definite
| statement of the results which have
been accomplished under the Hepburn
| law: to learn Just what utilities and
what weaknesses 1t has developed in
the two years and more 1t has been
in effect This is essential to an un-
Outstanding of the problem with which
congress must cope. Amendment is de-
sired, if at all, to strengthen and inn
prove that law; and the experience OF
the commission is the one guide to de.
ternine what is needed. Representa-.
| tive Townsend was one of the author:
| of the Esch Townsend BILL which frs
concentrated national attention on the
necessity for strengthening the old in
terstate commerce law, and was the
forerunner of the Hepburn measure
The Esch- Townsend bill designed :
court of commerce, to be separated
| from the administrative authority con
ferred by the law; so that Presiden
Taft's plan is in a general way a. re
turn to this method. The objection t.
the present organization is that thu
commission is made both the judg
and the prosecutor, which is an il
logical arrangement; further, that
commission of seven coordinate mem
bers is in the nature of things il
equipped for executive management
which should be entrusted to an or
ganization with a single head.
On the other hand there is insisten
objection to any such plan on tn
ground that inevitably it would in
volve reorganization that would brin
new and inexperienced men into tn
administration of the law. 1t is not tn
intention Immediately to draft a bill
but to postpone that until thorough in
quiry may be made into all features Q
the situation.