Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-26
LA TOILETTE FOR
NEW RATE BILL
Wisconsin Senator Speaks Long in
support Of the Cummins Increas-
Amendment. IL :
SAYS COMMISSION IS wEAt1
Declares for Re-equipment of Inter-
state Regulation Board.
srDETRACKs MARTINS PLAN
Move for Compromise Proposed is Not
Voted Upon.
FAVORABLE PRIVATE COMMENT
Gossip Indicates Possibility of
Passage Later-RevisIOn of
a., Physical Valuation is
Suggested.
Declares for Re-equipment of Inter-
state Regulation Board.
srDETRACKs MARTINS PLAN
Move for Compromise Proposed is Not
Voted Upon.
PRIVATE COMMENT

WASHINGTON, May 25.-"There is not
2ne line In the statutes to give to the peo-
PIE reasonable railroad rates." declared
Senator La Toilette in the senate today.
IAN that has been accomplished" he said,
lis to afford a means OF giving equal rates
10 shippers"
The interest of the shipper was by no
means the interest of the general public,
he asserted. He declared the people gem
orally were as much entitled to protection
as the shippers. Forty years ago the fight
was begun with that end in view, he said,
and II was as much a fight against ex-
tortion as against discrimination, but in
the former respect there has been an utter
failure.
with a huge chart to show the relative
Importance of the various railroad groups,
the Wisconsin senator spoke in support Of
the Cummins amendment to the railroad
bill requiring the prior approval by the
Interstate Commerce commission Of in
creRses in rates.
Mere ChiId's Play.
THE Interstate Commerce commission is
engaged in mere child's play" said Mr..
La Toilette. adding that it was so hedged
about that 1t could not effectively deal
with the problem. THE rules of the sem
ate seem to be so formed as to prevent
one from speaking the truth. The rail-
roads have been having their way for forty
years. We have the sins of many con-
gresses to atone for If we permit this bill
10 pass from our hands"
While the rate regulation provision of the
presidents original bin was in the public
interest, Mr.. La Toilette said. the pro-
vision had been so modified by Senators
urff. knlIxt -. 4 hs
interest OF the railroads.
Since January l. he said, the rates on
wool from st. Louis and Duluth to New
York had increased IL and Is per cent; on
grain and grain products. domestic. from
St sLouis TO New York. IS per cent, and
from Chicago to New York 80 per cent
Fresh meats from Missouri river points tc
Chicago, 16 per cent; Missouri river points
to East st. Louis, % per cent, and the rates
on horses and mules between st. Pau
and La Crosse, 10 per cent.
western Rates Raised.
out of the multitude of rates to becom,
effective June he cited the following:
Agricultural implements, Chicago to st
Paul. 1917 per cent; brick, st. Paul to Chi
cago 1874 per cent; cement, st. Paul e
Chicago, rs per cent; harness, st. Paul tC
Chicago, rs per cent; hides, green salt, st
paul to Chicago, 243 per cent paints, Chi
cago to st. Paul, 15.4 per cent? wagons
Lake City, MINI, to st. Louis, 144 pc
cent: wool, ST. Paul to Chicago, Is pc
cent.
He contended that instead of an increas
there should have been a decrease.
Quoting Senator Root as saying tina
unreasonable rates could be correcte,
under the present law he said that "sucl
a statement impeaches either the intelli
Eence or the candor of the man VIII
makes it."
Rates Are ExtOrtiOnate.
Contendlng that the present RAILROAD
rates are mot only not reasonable, bu
are extortionate," Mr.. La Toilette declare
that those who will not consent to givin
the commission power to examine furthe
\, increases betray the public interest 1 al
here today to plead that rates shall nc
bo further advanced until we go back an
clothe the commission with authority
Determine the reasonableness of rates an
equip Il so that it can perform that sci
y vice"
Saying that of the 10000 miles OF raj
ways in the United States six groups cor
trolled 100000 miles. Mr. La Toilette foun
there really was very little variety of II
tersst in railway ownership In the Unite
States, leaving the control in practical
one gigantic trust. He found Morgan an
Rockefeller at the head OF the entire fsbr
and he predicted that ultimately those tw
names would stand not only for the finaI
cial but for the production and transpo
.a.ton interests as we'll.