New-York tribune., 1910-05-11
LODGE WARNS SENATE
Sees Disaster in Long-and.
Short Haul Amendment.
TFron The Tribune Bureau.


Washington, May 1o.-Debate on tho pro-
posed leng-and-short-haul clause OF the in
terstate commerce bill occupied practically
the entire attention Of the Senate to-day.
Three or four more speeches are to be made
on this subject, and it may be Thursday or
Friday before Il vote is taken. The oppo-
nents OF the clause express confidence in
their ability to defeat the Dixon or any
similar amendment and intend to interpose
motion to table amendments Of this char
acter when all who desire to speak have
been heard.
Tho principal speeches to-day were made
By Senators Lodge, Piles ana Bristow. Mr..
Lodge took the position that the addition of
the Dixon amendment would revolutionize
railroad tariffs and was tantamount to es-
tablishing, at least in principle, mileage
basis for freight rates. After quoting many
rates on German railroads to show that
government rates there are not lower than
rates here. Mr.. Lodge argued the import
ance of elasticity somewhere In rate
making. He referred TO sighting statements
about New England by Senator Dixon, nf
Montana There are seven million people
living IN that section of the country" said
Mr.. Lodge. Their prosperity is important
TO the whole country, as is the prosperity
of any section. It is Of great importance TO
us 10 receive the products of the West, az
it is Of great Importance to the West that
we should He alluded to the so-called
fat rate by which the same charge was
made on freight from the West to North
Adams, Mass: Manchester, y. H; Water
Vile Me- and Worcester, Mass. All these
places had practically the Boston rate.
Senator Dixon wanted TO know whether
New England would accede TO d method OF
fixing rates by which a certain price would
be charged on Western products to Boston
and then a back haul In addition.
II am not defending the justice OF the
back haul" replied Senator Lodge. II am
not familiar With the Spokane cases, but
nv impression is that the rates charged
there are not fair
Senator Smoot cited some Of the difficult
ties confronting manufacturers in Utah III
establishing new industries.
NO legislation is so dangerous" an
swored Senator Lodge, "as that founded on
hard cases. One marked tendency ef the
time is to bring IN laws for everything. This
constant Invocation of law is often peril
ous Thing to do. 1f the effort to make your
favorite distance rate for freight succeeds
Won will make the eastern part of this
country desert. Industry will be con-
viIsed and every city on the Atlantic sea-
board except Baltimore and possibly Nor
folk Will be put out of business
When some of the Western Senators pro-
tested that the Dixon amendment attempted
chiefly TO require the railroads to shoulder
the burden OF proof as to the reasonable
ness of short haul rates. Senator Lodge re-
piled that IL was a step toward the danger
Gus extreme Of government made rates.
The Massachusetts Senator closed his re
marks with the statement that the Dixon
amendment was an entering wedge 10 Il
''poIicy that would eliminate elasticity and
visit with disaster a great section OF the
country"
'If you are going TO destroy the bust
ness of the country" said Mr.. Aldrich,
with the end in view of making Missoula,
Mont. and Saiina, Kan. Che home towns,
respectively OF Senator's Dixon and Bris-
tow the metropollses Of the world, then
there should be some reasonable rule un-
der which the work Of destruction is to be
carried on
Mr.. Dixon replied With bitterness. He
found in the Rhode Island Senator's re-
marks a repetition of the recent invitation
of Mr. Tlkins to the West to move out"