The Washington times., 1909-02-14
Problem Bobs Up Again
More Perplexing Than
in 1906.
WIDELY DISCUSSED
ABOUT CORRIDORS
Next Session Will Probably Con
front the Whole Vast
Problem.

The Invest question that is confronting
Congress just now, and one giving rise TO
more discussion about the corridors and
the cIoakroOms than any other, unless it
be the tariff, is the railroad rate question.
If Congress thought. when it passed the
Hepburn rate law in 1905 that it was
getting the Tate-dSling problem of its
hands, It was sadly mistaken. 1t has
returned, in a more perplexing and
troublesome form than when the Hep
burn law was passed.
Indication OF this was seen in the
House Saturday In the speeches Of Rep
resentatives Madden Of Illinois and La
mar OF Florida, in both Of which de-
fects OF the Hepburn law. as seen by
these members. were set forth. Both
urged important steps toward the
strengthening of the law. However,
these speeches are but one OF the evil
dences about Congress that the rail-
road rate regulation question is once
more getting to be an interesting one.
Many Signs Visible
Many signs are visible that the next
regular session will see the whole vast
problem Of Government regulation OF
rates thrown wide open. Various mem
j
they see coming by studying the rail-
road question and amassing data and
information. It may be confidently ex-
pected that when the next regular ses-
sion opens in December a food Of bills
with reference to the Government regu-
lation Of railroad rates will be poured
IN on the House and Senate,
What is leadin gto this is the great
- ia
gress are receiving TO the effect that rates
are goiHg up and that the prpesent rate
law is not adequate to prevent them from
increasing, 1t viii be recalled that
when - Hepburn bill was under dis
cussicn, an argument or statement
often heard was that the public was not
concerneC over the question Of how
high the rates were so long as every
one had TO pay the same rate. But this
Is not borne out by the volume OF com
vlaints members Of the House and Sen
sic are receiving because II IS alleged
-ates have gone up. That they have
Increased in many cases since the Hen
burn law went into effect is wen known
sad vas shown by report which the
Interstate Commerce Committee lately
made to the House under the MAIDEN
resolution
Forceful Protests.
Especially vigorous ana forcefuI are
the protests which are pouring IN from
the Pacific coast country on account Of
the increases lately made by the rail-
roads IN transconttnentsI rates. The
feeling IN the Pacific coast region IS
said BY persons here who are familiar
with the situation TO be intense. Ship
pers there are much wrought up
ETnuyarra~ the FaaTfue fu NOT r1nEuaF
70 the remote West. Senators and rep
resentatives from the middle West are
getting plenty Of letters frelghted with
kicks over rates.
The general tenor OF the complaints
is that under the present system there
Is chaos IN the rate situation, that the
Hepburn law is failing 10 keep rates
down. that there IS much delay in get
ting important decisions from the In
terstate Commerce Commission, that
many OF the orders Of the commission,
orders Of Importance, are uUllned and
tied up by court decisions eui0iniug
their enforcement; that the effect OF
these adverse decisions is to tend to de-
strOy the relation OF rates or make
the relations more unsatisfactory than
ever. and that some authority ought 20
be exercised 20 prevent Increases OF
rates before the Interstate Commerce
Commission passes on those increases.
Many Plans Proposed
To remedy the situation. many plans
are proposed. The plans take a wide
range. one Of the basic propositions is
the Government control Of the security
issues OF railroads.
Senator DCuiver, after months OF
study. has already introduced a bill in
the Senate for the control Of the capI-
talization and security issues Of roads.
Various members are urging a physical
valuation OF the railroads. FOR the pur-
pose Of anOrding a basis from which
20 regulate capitalization and, TO some
extent. afford guidance as 10 rates
Critics OF the Hepburn law quite gen
orally take the position that 10 is utter
~ impossible for any government tri-
bunsl TO regulate rates when the law
merely gives IL authority to adjust on
complaint q single rate and does not
give 10 either the authority TO initiate
rates or TO fix the relation OF rates.
Congress. IN other words, s. sqlIareIv
M against the consideration of what h
VIII do IN the matter OF giving the Inter
state Commerce Commission the broad
power of adjusting whole sets OF rates
and fXinP the relations OF rates between
different localities. Much opposition de-
veloped 20 this when the rate law was