The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-25
President Plans to amend Inter-
slate Commerce Laws
MORE AUTHORITY PLANNED
Interstate Commerce Court of FiyTs
Members Is Proposed and Also
Give Commission Power to In
stitute Its Own Complaints.

Washington ovember 24--Foregoinc
| a contemplated horseback ride because of
| snowstorrn, President Taft devoted this
afternoon to series of important con-
ferences covering the subjects of proposed
amendments to the Interstate commerce
laws, legislation looking to the suppress
sion of the so-called white slave" traf-
| flc. appointment of a successor to h,e
late Judge Sol S. Bethea of the United
States district court at Chicago and the
appointment of a new governor of the
territory of New Mexico
The conference with regard to the inter-
state commerce changes was the most i'm
portant the President has had on the sub
ject. and it was said that he Is practical
ly ready at this time to begin the dicta-
ton of this part of his message to Con-
gress At the conference were Attorney
General Wickersham, Commissioner Lane
of the interstate commerce commission
District Attorney E. w. Sims of Chicago
who conducted the governments prosecu-
ton in the famous s29, 900, 900 Standard Oil
case, and Representative Mann of IL
linois, chairman OF the House committee
! on foreign and interstate commerce
With District Attorney Sims and Mr.
Mann the President also took up the
white slave traffic question. Mr. Mann
is to introduce a bill on this subject at
the coming session Of Congress. He be-
| lievcs the government can prevent this
traffic through the aid of its power to
control interstate and foreign commerce.
Sims Is Recommended.
| Postmaster General Hitchcock particl-
pated nthe conference during the after
noon. District Attorney Sims has him
self been recommended for appointment
to the federal bench to succeed Judge
Bethea. No decision relating to this va
cancy has been reached, so far as can
be learned.
| President Taft's views as to amendments
| TO the interstate commerce law have been
| pretty generally known ever since his Des
| Moines speech on September 20 The con.
! ference this afternoon, it was stated, was
| for the purpose of working out the details
| of the amendments needed to carry Mr..
| Tafts views into effect.
| 1t is proposed, among other things to
establish an interstate commerce court OF
| five members to consider appeals from
rates fixed by tho interstate commerce
commission. The President also will rec
/ ommend legislation to prevent any inter-
| state railroad from owning stock in a
| competing hne and to compel roads thus
| owning stock to dispose Of their holdings
| within given time.
| Legislation to prevent the overissue of
| stocks and bonds and the watering of
| stocks will be one of the strongest rec
concentrations Mr.. Taft will make, the
Presidents proposition being that no
| stocks or bonds shall be issued except by
permission of the interstate commerce
| commission after an inquiry has been
made into the necessity for the issue.
| Giving to shippers the choice of routes
| over various connecting lines is another
important amendment which the Presi-
| dent favors.
Delay of Litigation.
| President Taft believes that one of the
| great detriments of the interstate com
merce law is the delay entailed by liti-
| cation In the courts over an order of the
| commission
! The President believes that another
| change in the Interstate commerce law
should give to the commission the power
| to hear and entertain complaints against
unjust classifications of merchandise for
| transportation. 1t is perfectly clear, he
declares, that by including articles in
the same class which ought to pay differ
ent rates q railroad can commit ex-
| actly tho same kind of injustice as it
| would by imposing an exorbitant rate
| as to any one class.
| To give the commission power to in
| stitute complaints of it's own and not
| to limit it to the consideration of COM
al, sx.fe dA f.<. -
| other of the important changes in the
I law to which the President and his ad-
| visers are devoting considerable share
| of their attention. President Taft be-
| lieves this authority must be given to
| the commission in order to make its work
| truly effective. Mr.. Taft is not in favor
| of letting down the bars entirely, how
! ever, giving the commission absolute
| power to fix rates in advance and on
their own initiative without complaint
| being filed and investigation made
| 1t Is the desire of the administration
| to proceed cautiously along this line in
\ way which eventually will accomplish
| its purpose without too drastic or rad
ical action.
| More Authority Proposed.
+! 1t is proposed that the interstate COM
! merce commission shall be given author
| ity to suspend for 80 days the carrying
! into effect of new rate classification
| providing complaint is made that the
| new rates are unjust 1t is argued that
! In this way the shipper Is given equal
| rights with the railroads which are per-
mitted to take appeals from orders OF the
I commission.
| The subject which has given the Pres
| ident much concern II the proposals to
admit the railroads to pool rates. The
railroad takes the position that the rail-
roads should be permitted to agree upon
traffic rates that shall not be exactly
| pooling contracts, but shall constitute
| agreements as to rates, provided always
| that such agreements shall receive the
approval Of the Interstate commerce COM
mission. In this way the operation OF the
antitrust law agAinst traffic agreements
between railroads Will b. abolished and
against tteir absolute prohibition WIN bl