Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-10-09
cUMMINs BILL FOR RATE REeu
LATloN WILL HAVE EASIER
SAILING.
INTERSTATE COURT IDEA
FAVORED BY COMMISSION
Presidents Des Moines Speech Goes
Further Than Roosevelt's Ideas and
Lines UP For cummins' ldea-Will
Result in Conference in New York
Other Political Gossip.

t.. S.-MSTlDeTS
interstate commerce commission are
saying that they are heartily in agree
ment with the railroad regulation
speech made by President Taft at Des
Miones, toward the end of September
The president went to the Iowa capl-
tai. the home of Senator Cummins. one
OF the most ardent and unyielding Of
the so-called senate progressives, and
delivered himself of a speech regard
ing the regulation of railroad rates
which made Mr. Cummins sit UP and
take notice. 1t not only indorsed the
Roosevelt policies in this regard. but
went them several better. and placed
the president side by side with Senator
Cunmins in advocating certain reforms
as TO the railroads which Mr.. Roose-
welt had not mentioned.
These advanced railroad views were
presented TO the senate during the spe-
cial tariff session of congress in a ILL
! introduced by Mr.. Cummins, who an
nounced that it was his intention to
work for the passage Of the bill at the
regular session. beginning in December.
1t is not related that the Iowa sem
ator expected that the president would
indorse his posiUon-indeed. if he
| tncught ANYTHING at all about it. he
probably thought that the president
would not go quite so far as his bill
had gone. But 10 and behold Not onls-
has the president. in his Des Moines
speech, endorsed this position almost
in its entirety. but the members
of the interstate commerce commission,
historically conservative. have done the
same thing. Wherefore. the shedding
for the Cummns railroad bill should De
much smoother than otherwise would
be possible
Approves of Commerce Court.
4 The interstate commerce commission
is especially pleased with the idea of a
federal court of interstate commerce
with exclusive jurisdiction over appeals
| from orders of the commission. This
is one of the features of the Cummins
bill. When the time shall have come
for the commission to submit its an
nual report to congress, it is said that
! this approval of the federal court will
be made official and formal
| The commission joins with the pres
ident and Mr. Cummins in desiring that
adequate provision be made by con-
gross for the determination of the diff
ficult problems of judicial authority
over interstate traffic.
| The Taft Des Moines speech was
carefully prepared. several weeks be-
fore, after final conference in New
York of cabinet lawyers and members
| of the interstate commerce commission.
to whom the president had referred
this subject With the request that it
! be worked out for the purposes of his
annual message to congress The pro-
ceedings of this New York conference
were kept secret. 1t was known that
prior to that time the president
had leaned toward legislative pro-
gram which was not satisfactory to the
commission in congress That program
looked toward division of the commits
sion's authority. and TO a decrease of
its power and prestige
Knapp and Prouty Present.
And so, when the New York confer
ence was arranged for, an opportunity
was given the commission to present
its case just as fully and vigorously as
possible Commissioners Knapp and
Prouty attended the meeting, and it is
now understood that they took hold of
the subject with all the vgor they
could command. They made it clear
that any scheme would be Impractical
BILE which involved division of author
ity and lessening of power. They de-
manded more power for the commits
sion and more concentration of that
power. and they pleaded for the com
mission to be made the repository Of
,, that power
The long experience of the two com
missioners with the question under dis
cussion, and their resultant ability t.
present it with clearness and force
bore down all opposition in the confer
ence. The cabinet lawyers, rejecting
the presidents views, were convinced
and the Taft railroad program, as ther
r shaped up and afterwards exploited il
the speech at Des .Moines, lis a vastl.
: different program from the one which
: would have been adopted had Their