Evening journal., 1910-05-13
TOO MANY RAIDS
ON RAILROADS
Political Agitation Reaching
Danger Point Says Willis
]. Abbott

However the railroads may view the
Congressional aspect of things as re-
lating directly 20 them-and there Is no
question as 20 the concern IL is giving
thcm-other than railroad men see In
the situation that which isn't assuring
from the standpoint OF the public at
large. No ore would accuse Willis j.
Abbott OF being predisposed TO favor
ing railroads. his long and Intimate as
sociation with the great commoner and
his writings for years establishing for
him the reputation OF a publicist in
the broadest sense of the term
zone of the most prominent manu-
Cacturers Of railroad supplies IN the
United states drifted into Washington
the, other day" Abbot writes "and
talked TO Chairman Mann. Of the Com-
mittee on Interstate Commerce, some
what h this fashion:
I'm 1907 the attacks Of the Roosevelt
administration on the railroads stopped
railroad construction all over the coun-
try. Nothing was bought by road
except what was actually necessary for
It's immediate operation. steel rails
that mad been purchased were stacked
and held for the time when returning
prosperity and congressional quietudo
would permit their being laid. Near
my plant on the Pacific Coast there
were. IN 1908. nearly two miles. of loco
motives on side tracks, exposed TO the
weather. out of commission and idle
Now the political agitation which
led TO the entire cessation OF railroad
activity In 1907 and produced the panic.
is again being pressed To the danger
point. II means the cessation once
more Of railroad building, betterment
of equipment, and, as railroads are the
greatest employing and purchasing
corporations i'm the United states. their
prosperity or adversely is reflected in
the labor market Of the nation.
1T isn't so much that fair control OF
the roads is opposed either by them
or by financial leaders, but the con-
tinual attacks upon them Ia Congress
antagonize investors and seriously limit
the roads borrowing capacity. That
necessarily limits their ability 70 build
new cars, to straighten and improve
| their lines. to replace timber trestles
with bridges Of steel or stone. And
| incidentally il closes opportunities OF
employment TO some hundreds OF
thousands Of American workmen."
| What Abbot Found.
AFTER this outburst OF pro-railroad
oratory." continued Abbot, u went to
the document clerk in the Capitol and
asked for a full set OF the bills intend
ed TO regulate railroads which had beer
! introduced and printed at the present
session OF Congress. The package re.
ceived in return weighed about ter
pounds; tho number OF bills which
specifically referred 10 railroad regula
ton was fifty-eight; the number whicl
by indiscretion affected the railroad
was so great that the clerk has not ye
gwen me copies Of all.
Among the latter is a bill provid
ing that cans of oysters or crabs ship
ped over interstate lines must be STAN
ed with the weight of the oyster Z
crab meat contained therein. Thi
proposition is put up to the Committe
on Interstate Commerce. Another or
is that no apples shall be sent in close
packages, else they be considered to
misbranded within the meaning of a
act prohibiting O. q. transportatio
of adulterated or misbranded food
| Inalt TOO, puts IL up ~ tiS ioiii'e't
. to determine bow the harmless. apple
of commerce shall be packed and cai
ried."
The Hun1or Of II.
There is an element Of humor in n
fact that one bill is intended TO pre-
vent the entrappint Of shooting {
4 carrier pigeons. which would seem
r indicate that by and by the aerodrom
I would become subject TO the powers Q
D that committee
'The Interstate Commerce Committe
holds, so far as legislation is concern
ed. the orosDeritY Of the railroads o