The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-26
HITS AT STUBS.
OklahOman Says Politics Was
Rate Conference Motive.
Calls Endorsement OF Antitrust
Law, "BuncOmbe."
SEES FAT FEE PLAN.
Declares Attorneys for Shippers
Helped for Il Purpose.
Misdirected Sincerity, lie Ayers,
Was Cause OF Meeting.
SEES FAT FEE PLAN.

Oklahoma City, Sept. 26-The Okla
homan prints the following interview
with j. H. Johnston, who walked out
Of Governor Stubs freight rate con-
ference i'll Topeka last week. Johnston
was a member of the resolutions com
mittee:
Desire for political advertising on the
part of the governor of Kansas and
further desire for fat fees on the part
OF certain attorneys or certain south
western shippers, were the prime mo-
tlVes for the meeting of the southwest
ern shippers and state officials at To-
peka Thursday, according to j. H.
Johnston, manager of the Oklahoma
City chamber of commerce.
Misdirected sincerity on the part of
some of the shippers also is attributed
the cause for the meeting, but, he says,
so far as the good accomplished. the
gathering was bottomless.
THE endorsement of the antitrust
law by the convention was political
play said Mr. Johnston. For the law
is political buncombe. Its words
about combination in restraint of trade,
and the like, sound well, but they mean
the very opposite"
Enlarging on his ideas of the merits
and dement's of the antitrust law and
in presenting his theory regarding the
bleness of freight rates throughout the
country, Mr.. Johnston said:
I protest against the resolution
which states, we hereby declare our
selves in favor of a rigid enforcement
of the antitrust law against all COM
biues. trusts and mOnopOhes in re-
straint of trade. and petition the presi-
dent of the United States to enforce
vigorously and equally against and rail
and water carriers as well as other
,1saNs
these laws for the reason that such q
resolution is incompatible with the in
terstate commerce law, whose specific
purpose is to prevent rebates to ship
pers and discrimination as between IL
dvduals and Localities. Why? Be
cause discrimination cannot be pre-
vented unless uniformity is absolute
~ secured. not only in the making IF
rates, but in their publication as well.
And how can uniformity be secured
without conference and agreement Is
something that no practical man has
vet bee. able perceive. The rabid re-
former and the blatant demagogue care
nothing about the practicabiity OF q
proposition. and hence would insist
that the anti trust law be complied
with at the expense Of what was much
more desired-the prevention of dis
elimination and the securing OF th9
same rate to all.
AGAINST Commerce Commission.
The resolution passed is in direct
conflict with the recommendation of
the interstate commerce commission,
which recognizes the Inconsistency of
the conflicting laws, and have upon
more than one occasion recommended
that the very law which the cOnven-
ton endorsed be repealed, as it re-
lates to traffic agreements and con-
ferences between railroads. 1 have
always heartily endorsed this position
and the further one, that all agree
ments as might be reached between
road and road should be approved by
the commission before going into eff
feet.
Not only is this stand by the com
mission regarding the law true, but
Presidents Roosevelt and Taft have
both made similar recommendations
to congress, and the provision was in
cluded in the bill prepared by Attor-
ney General Wickersham and submit
ted to the last congress. And the bill
would have passed had it not been for
the unfortunate move made by the
railroads at that time toward increas-
ing several of their rates, which move
so inf1amed many shippers that they
went before congress and insisted that
the provisions be stricken out, that
the railroads might be suppressed in
the shortest possible time.
Another resolution which I could
not endorse in total was the one stat
ing, We hereby declare it the duty of