Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-05-27
WISCONSIN SENATOR CALLS COM
MISSIONS REGULATION OF
RATES CHILD'S PLAY.
HE SUPPORTS CUMMINS' PLAN,
Declares Statutes Now Do Not Provide
That People Shall Get Reason
able Rates.
SAYS SHIPPERS GET ALL BENEFITS.

w WASHINGTON, ID. c., May o.
There is not one line in the statutes to
give to the people reasonable railroad
rates." declared Senator La Toilette in
the Senate today. All that has been
accomplished is to afford a means of CIV
Ing equal rates to shippers"
The interest of the shipper was by NO
means the interest of the general pub
he. he asserted. He declared the peo-
pie generally were as much entitled to
protection as the shippers. Forty years
ago the fight was begun with that end
in view. he said, and it was as much
fight against eXtortion as against dis
elimination. but in the former respect
there had been an utter failure.
Supports Cummins' Idea
With a huge chart to show the rela-
tive Importance Of the various railroad
groups, the Wisconsin senator spoke in
support of the Cummins amendment to
the railroad bill, requiring the prior APP
prevail by the interstate commerce COM
mission of increases in railroad rates.
The interstate commerce commission
is engaged In mere chlld's play" said
Mr.. La Toilette, adding that it was, so
hedged about that it could not effectively
deal with the problem. The rules of
the Senate seem to be so formed as to
prevent one from speaking the truth.
The railroads have been having their
way for forty years. We have the sins
of many congresses to atone for before
we permit this bill to pass from our
hands,"
While the rate regulation provision of
the Presidents original bill was in the
public interest, Mr.. La Toilette said, the
provision had been SO modified by Sen
ators Aldrich and Elkins wholly in the
interest of the railroads. :F
Since January 1, he said, the rates
on wool from ST. Louis and Duluth to
New York had increased IL and 1S per
nestle from st. Louis to New York IL
per cent, and from Chicago to New York
30 per cent; fresh meats from Missouri
river points to Chicago is per cent, Mis-
souri, river points to East st. Louis 70
per cent, and the rates on horses and
mules between st. Paul and La Crosse
10 per cent.
Examples Are Cited.
Out of multitude of rates to become
effective June 1, he cited the follow
ing:
Agricultural implements, Chicago to st.
Paul, 1879 per cent; brick, st. Paul to
Chicago, Is 2-3 per cent; cement, St
Paul to Chicago, % per cent; harness
&C. L., st. Paul to Chicago, 10 per cent;
hides, green salt, st. Paul to Chicago,
243 per cent; paints, Chicago to ST
Paul, 1914 per cent; wagons, Lake ClNy,
Mimi, to st. Louis, IA per cent; wool,
st. Paul to Chicago, Is per cent.
He contended that instead OF an in
crease there should have been a de-
crease.
Quoting Senator Root as saying that
unreasonable rates could be corrected
under the present law, he said that
Such a statement impeaches either the
intelligence or the candor OF the man
who makes IT.
Contending that the present railway
rates are mot only not reasonable, but
are extortionate," Mr.. La Toilette de-
clared that chose who will not consent
to giving the commission power to ex-
anime further increases betrays the
public interest. / am here today to
plead that rates shall not be further adj
vanced until we go back and clothe the
commission with authority to determine
the reasonableness of rates, and equip 1t
so thai it can perform that service"
Sees Gigantic Trust.
Saving that of the 100000 miles of
railways in the United States, the six
great groups controlled 100000 miles,
Mr. La Toilette found that there really
was very little variety of interest in rail
road ownership in the United States,
leaving the control practically i'll one
giant trust He found Morgan and
Rockefeller at the head of the entire
fabric and predicted that ultimately
those two names would stand not only
for the financial but for the production
and transportation interests as well.