Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-12-08
ATTORNEY GENERAL WICKER
SHAM ALARMED AT. HIS OWN
MEASURE.
MOVE TO STRENGTHEN
COMMERCE LAW HALTs
Sill May Be Held Up for Some Time
Because of Some Of It's Drastic Fea-
lures, Which Might MOI stand-As
Drawn Measure Does Not Satisfy
Many Interests.
Especial Correspondence

Especial CorreSp ondence.1
Washington, Dec. S.-Attorney Gen
eral Wickersham is said to be shaken
In his confidence in certain features of
the, railroad legislation which he has
been drafting, on behalf of the admin
istration. Opposition has been made
so vigorous, as against certain features
of 1t. that uncertainty is entertained in
Interested quarters as to what the out
come will be.
The attorney generals draft of a
measure for the strengthening of the
interstate commerce law was supposed
to have been practically completed In
Its final form, and satisfactory to the
administration authorizes. But now
comes the explanation that at three
points uncertainty has crept into the
administration mind, and that there
may yet be changes on imp ii tant mat
te-s.
One thing which the advocates of
regulation especially wanted was a
grant of complete authority TO the
shipper to dictate the route over which
his freight should be moved The rail-
roads have vigorously held thar if they
got the freight there that was all that
could be expected of them; it was no
business Of the shipper over what route
1t moved The railroads have beer ir-
sistent on protecting their own right
to fix the route because of the desire
to distribute business among connect
ing roads on a basis of fairness. 1t is
a process of reciprocity among the
roads; each wants share from its
connecting lines and feels tha. it must
give share in return.
The Shippers Argument.
The shippers argument is that he
ought to know the route by which his
freight is moving so that in case of de-
lays of losses he may know where to
send tracers to find it, The railroads
have been very persistent in standing
against the shippers right to dictate
the route and while the Interstate COM
mission is in favor of this right the
attorney general has been moved some
what by the arguments on the other
side.
Likewise there has been strong de-
mand that the interstate commission
be given full power to make classifi-
cations of freight and to enforce them
This is considered very important, as
the railroads are able to change rates
by the simple process of changing
classification, and it is we'll known that
most Of the advances in rates in recent
years have been accomplished by this
indirect procedure of advancing CLASH
fications. 1t was supposed that the at
| torney general would include this pow
er in his bill; but it is now stated that
this is another of the points on which
he has developed some misgivings.
Commissions Rights NuIIified.
Finally, the interstate commerce au-
thorities wanted the power to deter
| mine joint routes and rates. Under the
law as it stands, the commission has
the power to fix thru route and name
| rates for it, in case there is no salts
factory existing thru route. In exper-
fence, it always develops that there is
already some thru route which the
railroads have made, and they demon
strate that it is satisfactory, thus TAX
ing away the right of the commission
to exercise its supposed authority. In
order to end all uncertainty, it was de-
should have entire and general author
ity in such matters; and here, again
the attorney general is reported to have
become uncertain whether so much
power should he delegated at this time
! Bill May Not Satisfy.
| Because Of these things, the attorney
generals bill may not be Immediately
completed and introduced. In any case
| its provisions will not satisfy the more
| insistent advocates of larger regulativc
authority. The interstate commission Is
expected to make some very mild OBJ
servations in its annual report, practi-
cally no recommendations that will not
be covered by the attorney generals
bill. Some members Of the commission
feel that they ought to go much furth-
er, even favoring the proposal of Gov
ernor Cummins, which favors a general
law directing the commission to make
a complete schedule Of all rates for the
entire country This is altogether too
| advanced for the majority Of the com
mission or for the interstate commerca
committees of the houses; but Senator
Cummins is going to introduce the
measure nevertheless, and insist on
getting the country to thinking about
and understanding the reasons in it's
favor.
Little May Be Accomplished.
The impression gains ground daily
that there will be very little accom-
plishment at this session along any OF
these lines. 1t is pointed out that be-
fore the administration measures are
formulated and laid before congress
the parliamentary powers are likely to
have laid out their program for the
session. occupied the ways with other
measures, and forestalled serious
chance Of getting the administration
bills forced to action.