Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-08-14
POSSIBLE SHAK[-UP
ON COMMERCE BOARD.
IMPORTANT CHANGES MAY BE
MADE IN PERSONNEL OF
COMMISSION.
LANE WILL BE RETAINED
pEsPITE hARRlMAN's WISHES
California Member Has Antasonized
Railroad Masnate and His Political
Scalp is sousht-President Refuses
to Be Frightened by Corporation De-
mands-Taft May Abandon Plan.
Special to Tines-RepubMcan.

Special to Times-Republ,can.
Washington, Aug. 1.-THE wise ones
about Washington are predicting a
general overhauling Of the interstate
commerce commission if the plan Of
reorganizing the duties Of the COM
mission, which President Taft is con-
sidering. goes thru.
That is, they are looking for import
ant changes in the personnel Of the
commission. 1t has been no secret for
q good while that there is some timber
on the commission that could be re-
moved without the ruination Of the
structure If the law is so changed as
materially to modify the duties of the
commission, 1t is expected President
Taft will make this the occasion for
making some changes in the member
ship.
Hartman After Lanes Scalp.
Commissioner Franklin X. Lane,
who was appointed from California, is
one of those against whom there is
strenuous opposition, tho this does not
signify that he will have to go. The
nature of the opposition is such that it
is not likely to weigh with the pres
ident, tho it may lead to some siren
uous congressional influence being ex-
erted against him. 1t appears Lane and
e. II. Hartman have collided and that
the Hartman influences are seeking to
undo the former as commissioner
The quarrel between Lane and the
Hartman forces in California is one
of long standing. Since he has been
member Of the Interstate commerce
commission, Lane has had charge of
many cases in which the Hartman
lines were concerned. He had much to
do with the preparation Of tho evidence
on which is based the suit for the dis
solution Of the Hartman merger.
Lanes friends say that the animosity
against him on the part of Hartman
and his 1ieutenants has been growing
and that strong efforts will be made
to keep him from getting another term
on the commission.
Refuses to Be Terrified.
This has not terrified Lane, who has
let it be known that if he is prevented
from staying on the interstate COM
merce commission he will go back to
California and run for governor and
that he will put up a fight that will
make trouble for Hartman, the South
ern Pacific, and the whole array Of
Mr.. Harriman's political lieutenants in
California. It remains to be seen
whether this will have the effect Of
calling off the effort to have him re-
tired from the interstate commerce
commission.
cockreII May Go.
If there Is a reorganization of the
personnel Of the commission, 1t is hard
ly likely that former Senator Francis
NJ. Cockrell, Of Missouri, will remain a
member of it. Senator Cockrell is ad-
vanced in years and feeble and there
was a good deal of criticism of his ap-
pointment by Mr.. Roosevelt in the first
place. This was not due to any lack
of regard for Mr.. Cockrell's abilities
But he was appointed thru the efforts
of his senatorial friends after he had
been defeated for return to the senate
from his state. Elihu Root was gen
orally credited with having supported
Mr.. Cockrell for the place. on account
he had taken in the senate in support
of army legislation which Mr.. Root as
secretary of war favored. Mr.. Cockrell
was of too advanced age to undertake
the arduous duties of a member of the
commission and ill health hasprevented
him from doing as much as he other
wise would have done.
Just what the changes will be that
the president will make if he should
have the opportunity to reorganize the
commission 1t is not possible to say In
detail. But in general way, 1t is un-
derstood the president would have a
commission made up Of men selected
for the place with the same care and as
little regard for politics as he would
choose court. In the past, the dis
position has been to give too much at
tention to political considerations.
Powers May Not Be Restricted.
It is not, however, by any means
certain that there will be legislation
that will make any change in the status
Of the interstate commerce commission.
It is possible that when the president
has given full consideration to the plan
OF taking from the commission it's adj
ministrative powers he will conclude
not to press 1t. This is one of the
points on which the president is seek
ing advice from this cabinet lawyers
and others. But at any rate, there is
going to be strong opposition in con-
gress to dividing the powers of the
commission. The signs Of this opposi-
tion are already apparent. Some of the
friends of. the commission system as it
Is now organized have canvassed the
situation with some care and say they
do not believe such legislation can go
thru.
In this connection, It is interesting
that Representative Mann, of Illinois,
who is the new chairman of the house
Interstate commerce committee, was
strongly In favor OF putting the. inter-
state commerce commission under the
jurisdiction of the department OF com
merce and labor when the department
OF commerce and labor was created.
Mr.. Mann presented aemeasure for this
purpose IN the form OF an amendment
- the bin srseting the department Of