Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-30
State Railroad Commissioners in SYM
patty NTH Federal Commissioners

| in regulation of railroad transporta-
ton are committed to the idea of
valuation; and 1t is to be hoped by the
friends OF the measure. that the in
terstate commission will hereafter be
less reticent and retiring in the prom
Uses. The anxiety not to get too far
ahead of the procession has brought
the interstate commission more crit
icism since the Hepburn rate act pass
ed, than any other single thing.
Even more important than this was
the action of the convention In indors-
ing the policy of federal regulation and
control of capitalization issues, through
the interstate commission. There was
indeed some determined opposition to
TINS by some of the state commissions
ers. who could not see how the states
We're to charter corporations, but the
federal government to control their
capital issues. That question has In
deed worried some other people But
as practical matter 1t Is recognized
by all the students of the problem that
no other authority than federal can
possibly do the regulating and do II
effectively. 1t was pointed out for in
stance that the Southern Pacific rail-
way company, one of the greatest in
the country, has not a mile of line in
Kentucky; yet 1T is a Kentucky COR
poration. and If state authority were to
oS ipiiou UPON LOT regulation or It's
capitalization the legislature at Frank
fort would have to legislate upon one
OF the most vital concerns of the peo-
pie in half score OF other states
while Kentucky would have no con-.
Germ in the matter. therefore, 1t was
obviously an utterly impossible ar
rangement. A similar case-and there
are many which practically parallel
this--is that of the Rock Island, op-
Grated under New Jersey corpora
ton. but with it's New Jersey interests
confined to a leasehold on an office
room in which to hold the entirely for
NAL annual meeting
In view of these highly practical
considerations. federal regulation was
indorsed, and the Endorsement Is ex-
pected to have important weight in
favor of one of President Taft's poll
cies of the coming session.
The proposal to establish federal
court OF Interstate commerce appeal
was given an Endorsement; and this
likewise Is likely to have considerable
significance with congress. The i'm
pressing has gained much ground, that
this measure will pass congress the
coming winter. There Is much differ
ence of opinion about 1t. and 1t is gem
orally agreed by friends of the meas
ure that an unfriendly committee
could easily report bill which would
be good deal worse than no law at
all.
The old prejudices against the in
terstate commission cropped out many
times in the discussions The demur-
rage rules which the Interstate author.
tiles had worked out in conference
with the railroad people were vigor-
ously denounced as being altogether
too strongly pro-railroad. and there
was some decided hostility to projects
looking to further federal control of
the safety appliance and block signal
business.
1t was evident that the new public
sentiment in favor OF rigorous railroad
regulation by legislature and commits
sion has brought some striking
changes, in the direction of liberaliz-
ing the views of the state commissions
ers toward the interstate body: but 1t
was also clear that a good deal more
needs to be accomplished in this di-
rection. The discussion of control OF
capitalization developed, on the part
of some of the state commissioners
who joined in 1t, a pathetic lack of in
formation about so fundamental a
subject and a vast fund of the tradi-
tonal hostility which looks with sus-
plcion of any proposition to give new
JOB to the interstate authority.
j., c. WeIliyer