The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-10-06
BRINGING UP LARGE QUESTION.

Since he started on his tour, Mr..
Taft has given the country something
to think about between now and the
opening of congress. In his speech
at Des Moines he declared that the
interstate commerce commission
needed more power over the rail-
roads. He wants to give the COM
mission authority to postpone the
date on which the roads can put new
rates or clas~sifications into effect,
provided that complaint be made that
rates or cl~assifications are reaso
able. AID he nwould give the COM
mission itself the power to institute
an inquiry into the reasonableness or
justice of the proposed changes by
the roads. Either of these amend
ments to the interstate commerce act
would compel the roads to give good
reasons for ay cpanges in rates or
classifications which they would pro-
pose. And. he declares, the commits
sion ought to have the power to sus-
pend, modify or annul any alterations
by the roads in their regulation
which, in it's opinion. would impose
undue burdens on shippers. Other
changes which he suggests in the law
would prohibit interstate roads from
acquiring stock in any competing
lines, would compel the roads o
holding such stocks to. dispose of it
by a certain date, and would also,
after enactment of these proposed
changes, prevent any interstate road
from issuing any additional stock or
bods unless the commission, after
careful inquiry, should find that
these obligations were to be issued
for purposes authorized by law, and
for a price not less than par for the
stocks and o. less than the reason
able market value for bonds.
This is a very large proposition
which the president presents. 1t is
very far from being certain that con-
gress will go to the length in amend
ing the interstate commerce law that
he suggests. 1t is well, however, that
the question should be brought to
the peoples attention now instead of
being postponed to the message at
the opening of congress. This is one
of the issues which congress will be
asked to deal with. Between now
and the first Monday in December the
cole will hpave an opportunity to
give it some attention. One clause
in the platform upon which Mr.. Taft
stood, declared in favor of such ma
tional legislation and supervision as
will prevent the future over Issue of
stocks and bonds by interstate car
riers.' This deman was directed
against stock watering, which is ar
evil that aught to be abolished, IL
possible. But the change in the in
terstate law which Mr..
Taft proposes go much farther than
this While they are designed to pro-
tect shippers and the general public,
it is possible that their rigid enforce
ment might hamper the roads in
their legitimate activities, and thus,
in the long run, inf1ict greater injury
than that which they are designed to
guard against. This is a matter
which has W sides. 1t will e well
for congress ad the public to give
some attention to both sides, and to
begin doing it before the session
opens.
The rate regulation act of 1900
made many changes in the laws re-
lating to the railways, but the amend
ments which Mr. Taft proposes would
go much farther in altering the ex-
listing status. In its oeratipon the
act of 1906 has not, except in IN or
two particulars, unduly hampered
the roads, but it gave an incentive
for state legislation which brought
conflicts between the states and the
roads, and aided in the panic of the
latter part of 1907. The law which
congress enacted had to run the
gantlet of several months discussion,
and some of the more harmful
amendments which were proposed
were eliminated in the final shaping
of the act. But that statute instiga-