New-York tribune., 1910-06-01
from TIE Tribune Bureau-J

Washington, May 81.
INSURGENT FOLLT.-The action OF
twenty-five Western railroads in fling
with the Interstate Commerce Commission
notification of general advance in freight
rates 10 take effect tomorrow, together
with the suggestion OF the Depa- trnent Oh
Justice that this is e violation OF the IN
junction against the Trans-Missouri ITa1-
&c Association. serves strikinsly TO demon
strate the correctness Of the position OF the
President and the Attorney General in urg-
ing Congress TO authorize traffic agree
n1ents and the folly Of the insurgents in
opposing those sections Of the interstate
commerce bill which contained such autnor-
ization. The position Of the administration
is that the railroads will form traffic agree
nents whether they are authorized by law
or not. and that the safe and just policy OF
dealing with the conditions which renoer
such agreements inevitable is to authorize
them by law, but TO compel their beng
made subject to the approval Of the Inter
state Commerce Commission While there
IS not legal proof of the existence of such
agreements since the Supreme Court de-
cided the trans-Missouri case. there has all
along been an almost moral certainty that
some understanding has existed between
railroads in the same territory. = careruI
examination Of the conditions attending
the disposition OF the railroads seems to
indicate that economical administration IS
almost impossible OF attainment WITHOUT
some form OF agreement Traffic agree
rnents subject TO the approval Of the Inter
state Commerce Commission, however.
would, in the opinion OF the adnlintstra-
ton, obviate the danger OF exorbitant
charges. and would prove another step IN
the progress toward sane and economical
railroad administration under the constant
and effective supervision Of the govern
uaeut.
THE INSURGENT ATTITUDE - OF
course, ostensibly the rgents-especially
the insurgents In the Senate--do not op-
pose traffic agreements, but IN fact they
insist on amendments which would render
the provision imperative, or at least would
result IN great hardship TO shippers It
was pointed out in this column in the
Tribune Of May q that the first effect Of
such a proposition as the insurgents urged
would be a general increase Of rates by
the railroads ell along the line, followed
by such an appalling demand on the time
and energy Of the commission that it would
be an interuainable time before such tn
justices as such increases might Involve
could be rectihed. The railroads have ap-
parently concluded that their safest plar, is
TO advance rates first and then argue about
it later, even without waiting for the action
Of Congress. Now that the roads have
sought TO advance their rates, and that
the Attorney General has caused an inves-
ugation which has given him some ma
tertal on which to institute Injunction pro-
ceedingsr Senator La Toilette has Jumped
into the arena with q resolution demanding
that the Department Of Justice be REQUIRED
TO institute the proposed suit, bur those
who have followed the Developments of the
situation will hardly be deceived by this
eleventh hour bid for popular approval.
THE FEDERAL SUIT-Rad It not been
for the fact that Attorney General Wick
ersham has been quietly gathering informa-
ton regarding railroad rates for some time,
II would be practically impossible for him
TO have instituted the suit begun in ST
Louis to-day. The missing links in the case
which the Department OF Justice will pre-
sent in St Louis were supplied by the rep
resentatives Of Western shippers who had
long conference with the Attorney Cen
eral yesterday afternoon, and the evidence
they gave him went SO far to indicate q