The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1910-01-06
Especial to The Caucasian }

Argued i'm q Few Days.
Especial to The Caucasian.)
Washington, D. c., Jan. 4, 1870
AS announced several weeks ago In
The Caucasian, the President did not
cover the question Of rate regulation
in his annual message to Congress at
the beginning of the session In De-
cember, because he had commission
composed of the Attorney-Genera>
and members of the Interstate Com
merce Commission and other promi-
nent lawyers at work on bill. me
substance of that bill has already
been made public, as published In
The Caucasian about two weeks ago.
Railroad Magnates Protest.
The provisions of the bill so pre-
pared were such as to cause the
presidents of the leading railroads OF
the United States to come to WASH
ington during the past wek and ask
an interview with the President to
protest against several of its most
salient features. These railroad mag
mates have come, have made their
protests and pleas, and have gone;
but the President has refused to
yield TO their protests and demands;
hence the administrative measure
for strengthening the Instate Com
merce act will be as formally an
nounced. The provisions in it, against
which the railroad magnates protest
ed most strenuously, were:
1) The creation Of an Interstate
Commerce Court to pass upon rulings
Of the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion and of an appeal from the In
terstate Commerce Court direct to
the Supreme Court of the United
States. Just why the railroad should
object to this provision of the bill K
is hard to say, unless they want Go
delay the trial of cases instead or ex-
pediting them Under the law, as II
now stands, cases can be delayed fol-
years before they ever reach the Su-
preme Court for final adjudication.
CD The next provision against
which they protested most strenuous
ly was that giving to the Interstate
| Commerce Commission power te
| change and make rates on its owl
motion which should become effective
at once and stay in effect during the
trial of any case with reference
| thereto.
| CD These magnates also protested
most vigorously against the provision
providing for the supervision as t.
the capitalization of all railroad com
panies and other companies doing in
terstate commerce business. The peo
pie of the United States have beel
most derelict in their duty in permit
ting the great corporations to waite
the stock without limit, and then in
sist upon their right to charge rat
high enough to make dividends o.
stock that represente nothing bu
water A correction of this glarin
evil should have been made man
years ago.
(4) They protested against tn
provision making more specific th
law about the consolidation of para
lei and competing lines, and also pre-
hibiting one such competing lin
I from owning stock in another.
> It was reported for while ths
some of the Senate leaders known 6
conservatives would oppose th
Presidents bill, but since the failul
of the railroad magnates to secure
back-down on the part of the Pres
dent, it is understood that these sta
. wart Republican leaders have cham
' ed their attitude and will now SUI
lport the President. 1t is understot
that their changed position is due
the fact that they see that the Pres
:. dent is determined, and that if thu
should not support him, that the l
surgent Republicans and those Der
ocrats, who are not controlled by Il
Interests, would join hands and ba
-. the President and put through t
measure any way.
The Conservation of Natural Re
sources.
e-t The President is also at work U
n on his special message to Congre
te covering the subject of the cons'
vation of natural resources. On
n count of the controversy as to whe1
IL er or not the Roosevelt policies
Le- this regard were being carried {
to by the Interior Department., this m
cd sage of the President will be look
1t forward to with special interest.
The Antitrust Law.
of 1t is understood that the Pre-
dent is also working upon the p
,es posed amendment to the Serman
THRUST law, so as to strengthen
}. same, and also amend the same SO
4 to permit combinations of cap
rem where they do not cause a restra
you of trade or result in the power to
md bitrarily increase prices. This n
sage will Also be looked forward