Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-10-16
NEWSPAPER TAKES
SHOT At STUBBS
OF KANSAS
Declares Politics Motive For
Rate Conference in Topekai
Antitrust Law Endorsement
HBunCombe, "

Oklahoma City, Sept. 26.-The Ok
lahoman prints the following inter-
view with j. II Johnston. who walked
out of Governor Stubbs' freight rate
conference in Topeka last week.
Johnston was q member of the reso-
lutions committee:
Desire for political advertising on
the part of the governor OF Kansas
and further desire for fat fees on the
part of certain attorneys of certain
southwestern shippers. were the prime
motives for the meeting Of the south
western shippers and state officials at
Topeka Thursday according to j. II.
Johnston. manager of the Oklahoma
City chamber of commerce.
Misdirected sincerity on the part of
some of the shippers also is attribut-
ed by Mr.. Johnston as forming some
Of the cause for the meeting, but, ne
, saws, so far as the good accomplished,
the gathering was bottomless
THE endorsement of the antitrust
law by the convention was political
play said Mr.. Johnston. For the
law is a political buncombe. Its
words about combination in restraint
| of trade, and the like, sound well, but
| they mean the very opposite
Enlarging on his ideas of the merits
and dement's of the antitrust law
and in presenting his theory regard
| ing the best means of bringing about
| equitableness of freight rates through
| out the country. Mr.. Johnston said:
| Il protest against the resolution
which states, we hereby declare our
| selves in favor OF rigid enforcement
of the antitrust law against all com
bines. trusts and monopolies in re-
straint of trade, and petition the
president of the United States to en-
| force vigorously and equally against
rail and water carriers as well as 9TH
er persons or corporations who violate
these laws; for the reason that such
| a resolution is incompatible with the
interstate commerce law, whose spe-
cific purpose is to prevent rebates TO
shippers and discrimination as be-
tween individuals and localities. Why?
| Because discrimination cannot be pre-
vented unless uniformity is absolute
| ly secured, not only in the making OF
rates, but in their publication as well.
| And how can uniformity be secured
without conference and agreement ls
something that no practical man mas
vet been able to perceive. The rabld
reformer and the blatant demagogue
care nothing about the practicability
of a proposition and hence would in
| sist that the antitrust law be COM
piled with at the expense of what was
| much more desred-the prevention OF
discrimination and the securing OF
| the same rate to all
Against Commerce Commission.
"The resolution passed is in direct
conflict with the recommendation OF
the interstate commerce commission,
which recognizes the inconsistency OF
the conflicting laws, and have upon
more than one occasion recommend
ed that the very law which the con-
vention endorsed be repealed, as 1t re-
lates to traffic agreements and con-
ferences between railroads. nave
always heartily endorsed TINS posltloh
and the further one, that all agree
ments as might be reached between
lroad and road should be approved py
the commission before going into ell
feet.
mot only is this stand by the com
mission regarding the law true, pul
Presidents Roosevelt and TAFT nave
both made similar recommendations
to congress. and the provision was IN
cluded in the bill prepared by AttoI
nev General Wickersham and submit,
ted to the last congress. Ana the phl
would have passed had it not been ior
the unfortunate move made by the
railroads at that time toward increas-
ing several of their rates. which move
SO inflamed many shippers that they
went before congress and insisted that
the provisions be stricken out, that
the railroads might be suppressed III
the shortest possible time.
another resolution which I could
not endorse in total was the one stat
ing we hereby declare il the duty ol
congress to enact q mandatory law
making it the duty Of the interstate
commerce commission to make
most searching Investigation into the
actual physical valuation of all the
railroad lines in the United States.
NV objections to this are that is
: too large an order at one time. IN
the end we will unquestionably nave
10 have the valuation Of all the RAJ :
roads and il the recommendation hdu
J been that such valuation should b,
. secured as soon as practicable. / wouiu
, have supported IT, But my positio 1
{ i that we were gathered together 'o
, consider only the proposed advances