Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-11
Vitiation of Dynamic Conditions.

10 exercise the coItIol pIopostu ps
this bill would be to create static condi-
lions instead of the dynamic conditions
which now exist. Prohibition of railroads
from acquiring new lines is even more
vital than to prohibit the farmer from
buying more land or the manufacturer
from enlargins his plant.
England and France, perhaps. may be
ready for such stoppage. Certainly the
United States is not 1t would be in
furious to put shackles on this line of
activity"
of the proposed legislation would be to
prevent western railroads from develop
ing along such lines as had made eastern
roads profitable.
He said he was not defending existing
conditions where one railroad is capital
lied at $1,000 a mile and another at
only $4,000. Such a situation, he said,
might have been brought about by I'M
prudent or reckless management, where
the sins of the fathers had been passed
on to the present managers.
In cases of that kind, he expressed the
opinion, many roads would be comp elled
to go to til wall and declared that the
only way of maintaining some railroads,
which had been constructed to open up
great undeveloped areas, would De "
Combine them with other properties
1t was contended by Mr.. Walker that
the federal government had no power TO
protect investors and that II IL was pIo-
posed to perform any such junction the
government should begin with mines and
the development Of patents and other con-
Germs where the business of the corpora
ton was less open to pubic scrutiny
than were railroad corporations and IN
which there were many small ana pilho
investors.
Get-Rich-Quick Recipe Wanted.
- -r;,,,~,,, ,,,da or otteppt ~
find out from President Walker how
multimillionaire railroad magnates make
their money. But he failed.
How do all these railroad magnates
make their milions?' Senator Ttllman
asked Mr.. Walker.
II wish they would give me the formu-
Ia" replied Mr.. Walker.
The senator next mentioned several
railroads out of which reports say large
fortunes have been made. He asked how
the money was made in those cases.
THAT was done in New York" re-
marked the head of the western system.
IAN the deviltry seems to be done in
New York." commented Senator Tillman.
Mr.. Walker declared here that pub
licity of financial operations of railroads
would prove remedy for the evils COM
planned of.
ITS the backroom deal that accom-
plishes the results YOU refer to- he add
ed.
To prohibit the absorption of compet-
ing lines into one system, Mr.. Walker
declared, would seriously hamper the
railway development in the middle and
far west The profitable operation of
one line is often dependent, he declared,
upon its control of competing line.
Without joining together, he declared,
it often happens that neither line could
be operated on a profitable basis and
carry forward the necessary improve
ments and extensions. He did not OBJ
ject to the supervision of the interstate
commerce commission over the rates of
the controlled line
He favored the creation of COM
merce court such as is proposed in the
administration bill. but desired the law
such that it's members would be men of
high standing and serving long terms
on the court.
E. B. Pierce. general solicitor of the
Rhode Island system, was also before
the committee.
The appearance of the officials of the
Rock Island system today called atten-
ton to the fact that no representatives
of eastern roads have attended the
hearings. 1t is therefore being asked,
are those roads tacitly agreeing to the
passage of the proposed measure?