The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-23
ORGANIZED FIGHT
 ON HIGHER RATES Important Conference Is Held
 at Topeka ADDRESS BY STUBBS
Governor of Kansas Outlines the Plans of the Conference and Protests Against Proposed Raise
 of the Rates

Topeka. Kan, September 22.-organized opposition to the proposed increase in railway freight rates was begun today at conference of over 15O representatives of commercial and public organizations of middle western states. The fight against the proposed rates is to be carried on principally before the interstate commerce commission. Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas. Nebraska, Missouri. Arkansas, Minneso- la and Illinois were represented at the conference Resolutions adopted recom- mend decrease in rates if investigation shows the present rates are too high; restriction of the proposed advance if present rates are found remunerative; mandatory federal law making it the duty of the interstate commerce commits sion to make a physical valuation of railroad property and rigid enforcement of the antitrust laws.
 The meeting opened with an address by Governor Stubhs of Kansas, who re- counted the efforts to keep down rates told of the cost of building railroads, and gave reasons offered by railroads for advancing rates.
 My hope, he declared, lis that this meeting will demand from the railroads the naked truth about their properties He said the railroads of their own in itiative had opened up the whole ques- ton of ascertaining the physical valua- tion of their properties by the testimony of their officials before the interstate commerce commission. Governor Stubbs also deplored the tendency of railroads to favor large cities in the adjustment of freight rates.
 In outlining the purposes of the con ference, he said:
 This conference was called to discuss ways and means to protect the interests of the producer, consumer shipper and the public generally in the middle west from the advance in freight rates in- volved in the most important case that has ever been heard by the interstate commerce commission.
 ''The public demands nothing short of bona fide valuation of all railroad prop erty and officials who represent the con sumer, producer, shipper and general public will be criminally negligent if
  portunity to go to bed rock and assist the interstate commerce commission in making searching and exhaustive in- vestigation, as to determine the ac- tual value of all the railroads of the United States
 Congress should immediately enact a law providing for the physical valuation of railroads by the interstate commerce commission. and this should be done be- fore any general advance in freight rates IS permitted There is more reason why badly managed, badly constructed poorly located and over-capitalized rail- roads should prosper than a badly man. aged business of any kind should be successful, and neither the people nor the government has any more responsibility to this class of railroads than they have to ill-adyised business operations of any kind"
 Murdo Mckenzie, president of the American Live Stock association, was made chairman of the meeting and gave figures to show railroad earnings declar- ing the railroad reports do not show them correctly.
 Resolutions adopted by the conference declare
 That, if after exhaustive investigation by the interstate commerce commission
 
 now adequate compensation based on correct valuation of their property we would heartily favor such increases in rates equitably applied, as would af- ford fair earnings on capital invested.
 If 1t should be discovered that the railway carriers of the country are al- ready enjoying an unreasonable percent age of profit on the investment we favor such action will bring about a reduc- ton of rates to such basis as will be reasonable to carriers and to shippers, producers and consumers alike.
 we urge the interstate commerce com mission thoroughly to investigate the operating expenses to find what better ments are added thereby to property and all the conditions and valuations of rail- way property regardless of the time that may be consumed in order to obtain an intelligent basis for the proposed ad- vance in rates.
 We declare it to be the duty of Con- gross to enact mandatory law making it the duty of the interstate commerce commission to make a searching inves- tigation into the actual physical valua- ton of all the railroad lines in the Unit ed States
 Chairman Murdo Mckenzie was ap- pointed head of a special commission, six of whom he shall select. to present to President Taft the declarations of the conference
 The committee was authorized to select