New-York tribune., 1909-03-27
lfR. FINLEY ON TRAFFIC.
RaiI5cay Head Emphasizes Need Of
JTise REGULATION.

Pfrtstf.rg March z6.-President W W Finley OF
the Southern Railway Company and ex-senator
Femenwav of Indiana. were the principal speak
ers at the annual dinner OF the Traffic club Of
this city. tonight.
President Finley spoke at length on the natural
resources Of the South and the strides that had
been made toward their development in recent
years. He specially emphasized the need OF better
transportation facilities between this country and
South America The quality Of legal regulation
over transportation lines ne declared. was OF para
mount Importance. In this connection he said:
Regulation within this field should nave for its
object the prevention OF abuses and not admins
tratIon Of the business OF the railways II is un-
by ran certain abuses were developed The most
serious of these was the ET@nllns 2f special rates
II reguiati6n for the correction an9
truths must be kept I'm mind. II must he recog
nized that transportation IS essential 70 profit
nIGirr 9re an ndspsnsabe tac;or in IT'S progress
and development; that they are built by private
that they have property rights in whatever re
mains 10 them as the net result Of their opera
As the Supreme court Of the United States said
II o e s ease 3i & 'f 6caee rea WesSrn RaWag
It must be remembered that railroads are the
The public character OF the work in which they are
rules FOR securing faithful and efficient service and
equality between shippers and communities. vet, In
The supreme court. IN this language marked the
dividing line between the field of proper regulation
Il may be improper for me to point out that
Il your railways 10 increase their carrying
capacity your demand FOR transportation facI-
tiles grows they must have the support G! public
opinion IN times nf prosperity we'll as in times Of
adversty. II should not be withdrawn as soon az
n Improvement In railway operating results is ap
parent for the inevitable effect would be to retard
that development Of transportation interests which
IS essential the agricultural industrial and com
mercial progress OF the United States The rail-
WAYS OF The country cannot provide increased fac-
tiles II they to te held down to the level Of
a bare existence and II the first sign OF an in
crease in net income is to he the signal for a
II
Mr. Hemenway discussed the industrial de
preston. the prospective tariff legislation and the
general disposition to criticise Congress, He en-
tered upon defence OF the rules Of the national
House Of Representatives and declared that they
were necessary 10 enable the majority to transact
business
Coming to the consideration Of business condi-
tions Mr. Hemenway said that the country at
large is now affected by nameless sleeping
sickness" He added:
sincerely believe that President Taft Will give
the country a businesslike administration, which
means that tho laws viii be strictly enforced. but
that the cases will be tried in the courts and
not in the headlines of the newspapers: that the
Constitution will be followed, and that the courts
will he complimented and not criticised FOR de
termining the cases according 10 law