Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-05-14
PRESIDENT RESPONSIBLE FOR
TROUBLE OF RAILROAD
MEASURE.
aLuNpERED IN CHOOSING
COMMITTEE TO DRAFT BILL
Men Who Prepared Proposed Law Gave
Ample Excuse For Insurgency -
Wickersham Prejudieed in Favor of
corporations-other Members Have
Long Records.

Washington. May Att is the opin-
ion of many public men in Washington
that the major part of existing dissat-
isfaction with the administra ton rail-
| road bill is traceable directly to Presi-
dent Taft. who, it is believed, made a
blunder in the personnel of the COM
mittee which he named more than a
year ago to study the railroad question
and submit to him, for the purposes of
his annual message of last December,
data bearing on the necessity of
further legislation.
When Taft entered the presidency
ance of carrying out the Roosevelt pol
icies. The chief of those policies, as
he looked al the matter, was that re-
lating to the furthey regulation and
control of the interstate carriers, in
the interest of the shippers.
Having this thought prominently in
mind. the president named a commit
tee TO go over the question for him and
submit suggestions in time for his an
nual message, as just stated. That
committee, in the main. was made up
of Attorney General Wickersham So
licitor General Lloyd w. Bowers, Sec
rotary Dickinson and Representative
Townsend. Of Michigan. They met
many times, during the spring. sum-
mer and fall, both here and in New
York. and finally drafted the bill which
congress is now engaged in tearing to
pieces. That bill was introduced in
the house by Representative Town
send, and in the senate by Mr.. Elkins.
The house committee amended it rap
idly before reporting it, but the SEN
ate committee reported the bill prac-
tically in the form in which it had been
originally prepared.
Makeup Of the Committee.
The explanation of public dissatis-
faction with the bill-dissatisfaction
which makes successful Insurgency in
both houses on the bill possibIe-is to
De found IN the men who prepared it,,
say many public men. To specify:
After concedkng the entire loyalty of
Mr.. Wickersham to the administration,
and his patriotism and disinterested-
ness. it still remains that he was for
many years prior to entering the cabi-
net a prominent New York attorney.
whose horizon had been narrowed
more or less by Wall street influence.
The public, even while not suspecting
his integrity, had no confidence in his
judgment, or in his ability to see things
from the public point of view.
Mr. Bowers, for years prior to COM
ing to Washington, had been counsel
for the Chicago & North Western rail-
way. The public has not been willing
h; hair fyaa fro
the prejudices Of that corporation en-
vironment.
Mr.. Dickinson, prior to entering the
cabinet, had for years been counsel for
the Illinois Central railway, and the
public has been as suspicious of him as
of Mr.. Bowers.
Mr.. Townsend's selection by the
president angered several of the lead
ing members of the house committee
on interstate and foreign commerce,
who felt that they had been sighted.
In the Judgment of these men. they
and not Mr.. Townsend should have
been selected for this purpose. This
situation helps to explain the more or
less open hostility of Representative
Mann of Chicago, chairman of the
committee and of various other mem
bers of the committee likewise. This is
the committee which has had jurisdic-
ton over the railroad bill
Here. then, WAS created situation
indicating, as many public men believe,
blunder on the part of the president
in the selection of the committee u
study the, railroad question and to
frame up the administration bill.
Caused Criticism of Bills.
Several of the leading members of
the committee having the bill in charge
in the house were either lukewarm
or in open opposition, owing to the Sc
lection of Mr.. Townsend, while in the
country at large there was suspicion OF
the work of the presidents railroad
advisers. due to the fact that one OF
them had for years been great cor
poration lawyer in New York. and two
Of the others chief counsel for great
systems of railways
| The latter fact, it is alleged, has
given point to the criticism made of the
| bill by insurgents in both houses OF
| congress. When these insurgents as
| serted that they had discovered sec
lions in the bill which were drawn, as
4 NJ NJ Y-l-9- Acct