The Detroit times., 1910-02-25
WILL WAGE WAR
ON TAFT's R. R. BILL
Insurgents Are To Line Up Against
Aldrich Forces in Great Conflict
To Defeat Measure.
BY w. S. COUCH.


WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. PA
backward step" and Just about what
the railroads want are two characteri-
cations OF the Taft railway bill, by in
surgent senators. They will call that
bill worse names I'm the senate pres
emily.
The Taft railroad bill has provoked
what VIII he the big fight of this scs-
sion. ln5urgent leaders count on much
stronger and general support than they
had IN the tariff fight. They do not
expect the Democrats TO show solid
'front.'. but they do expect more Repub-
llcan help. The insurgents promise 80
days discussion, which is a polite way
of mentioning hllbuster They hope
either 10 beat the king or to make II
decent with amendments.
Aldrich has undertaken TO put IL
through as it stands.
The main objections of the insurg-
ents TO the Taft railroad bill, which
was prCssagented as a development OF
the Roosevelt policies. are
1t creates an UNNECESSARY com
merce court" to hear cases brought
against orders OF the interstate com
mcrcc commission The present court
machinery Is amUle The commerce
court viii cost about $500 900 year
If the court Is intended to be any
;hing but an expensive luxury it is to
broaden the present judicial power to
review orders of the commission. The
insurgents and certainly the shippers
are opposed TO this.
Whom tbp ipfarStata pnpNpnnrrp rCup-
mission works up a case against a rail
road. and Issues an order the Taft
bill takes the defense of that order If
il is attacked. away from the commits
sion The job of defending the order
Is turned over to the political depart
ment of Justice The encouragement
may direct that this defense be drop
ped In which case the effort of the
railroad TO have the order set aside
will De successful Today the inter
state commerce commission defends
its own cases with its own attorneys.
The bill permits railroad agreements
ms TO rates, schedules and other busi-
ness not now permitted by law.
The provision which apparently per-
mits the shipper To demand from the
railroad statement as TO the routing
of his freight, and which permits him
to choose between routes, is called a
fake. as II does not give the privilege.
The bill does cot authorize the inter
state commerce commission TO regu-
late determinations between localities.
If either Omaha or St Paul, for in
stance, is now getting the worst OF
freight rates as regards the other, the
commission Is powerless. II will con
tinue powerless ii the Taft bill is pass
ed. This discrimination between local
tiles f. the crying evil which calls for
regulation.
The show window feature of the Taft
bill is its supposed regulation of rail
road capitalization. On the surface 1t
seems to prohibit railroads from issu
ing stock until il Is paid for at par
value, except al price reported fair
by the Interstate commerce commits
sion This looks like real blow at
stock Watering This section. however.
IS crafty piece of work The best
lawyers Of The Insurgents have been
unable to solve the mystery Of just
what il does mean. The section Itself
is followed by a list Of exceptions al
most as long as the main body of the
bill The insurgents do not hesitate
to declare that this section is worth
less as far a. the regulation of railroad
stock watering Is concerned
Cummns has over 100 amendments
to offer Aldrich has undertaken to
put the bill through as it stands.