The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-22

numerous conferences with him az the
White House Neither Esch nor I cared
Icy whose name the law might be known.
( so long as an act were passed that would
/ better the business conditions Of the
country. Col Hepburn knew all about
the work OF Esch and myself, and so I
asked him point-blank in the committee
| if he desired 10 keep his name on the bill.
Such a question, James r. Mann, OF
Chicago. promptly said, should not be
put 10 our chairman.
" Nevertheless 7 replied. 1T stands
just as I framed H. and I should like to
hear Col. Hepburns answer.
" I have been in Congress a long time, >
Col. Hepburn replied. without lifting his
head or taking his eyes from the table,
and would like to be identified publicly
with the proposed legislation
Conferences Are Held.
I'VE said no more. but Esch and I
worked for the bill as hard as ever. II
passed Congress and was signed by the
President After Mr. Taft came into Of
fee. I went to him and talked about ad-
I a
torney General wickersham, and meet
lngs were held afterward with Secretary
Nagel Solicitor General Bowers. who was
formerly railroad lawyer. and with
Messrs. Knapp and Prouty. of the Inter
state Commerce Commission. Last Au-
gust We all met in New York. and there.
! locked away from all interruption. we
prepared the rate bin that is now being
debated in Congress"
do you think that railways. as a rule,
are Overcapitallzed? I inquired
NO However. some large roads have
issued more bonds and stocks than were
| justified DISQUALIFICATION in territory
where there is competition may not in
! fiuence the price of hauling freight, but
| il does affect the service in that il re-
quires money with which to pay interest
that ought 20 be spent FOR betterments.
Overcapitalization, therefore, not only
violates sound business principles, but is
harmful TO the public"
Has rebating ceased?'
"Old methods have been abandoned.
but a favored shipper may now put in
an excessive claim for damages TO goods
ostensibly injured or delayed in transit
and be paid what is equivalent TO a large
rebate We outlaw that practice in the
new bill however, and compel the rail-
roads to file copies of all the claims they
receive with the Interstate Commerce
! Commission, so that they can be inves-
| tigated.'
You have always been pOOr?" I said.
Always Was Poor.
Yes; you tsee the Townsends started
in folly, in the matter of money. and
were a long time working themselves
out-I am not sure that they have sue
ceeded even yet. and I speak advisedly
because l am the only Townsend left
Errors Of judgment. apparently local or
individual, may follow a family for a long
time and keep it next door to penury.
My grandfather, accompanied bv my
father. who was then about eight wears
old, moved from New York, across Ohio
and into Michigan. riding In a wagon
drawn by two yokes of oxen and driving
several milk cows. He stopped in Jackson
County. Rich prairie land was to be found
little farther on. Heavy timber. a sure
sign Of the fertile soil underneath. grew
all around. But my grandfather. thinking
only OF his lean oxen and miserable cows.
took up a marsh farm that was covered
with coarse, tough grass ready for cpt-
ting. II he had travelled from New Yorl,
on a wager that he could find the worst
$50 acres OF land in the Northwest. he
would have easily won the bet.
Like many other men, his vision was