Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-04
BuCCANE ERlNG.

People who would KNOW now ms
government is managed a Washington
have but to watch the progress OF the
Aldrich railroad bill just reported 10
the senate. The subject OF court
which is to pass on rate questions and
OF a bill which presumes TO change the
authority of the present commission is
by all odds the most serious that has
come before congress in years. Great
er in Importance than the tariff bill
greater than the postal bank bill.
greater even than all of them, it con-
Gems the commercial welfare Of ma
ton, involves the destinies OF cities and
DEGREES The financial life and death of
business enterprises, just as the freight
rata tax upon the country is many
times greater than all the federal, state,
county, city and school taxes combined.
Such is the bill which is before the
senate.
And yet in senate committee, OF
which Senators Cummins, of Iowa. and
Clapp, of Minnesota. are members and
privilege was denied TO Senator Cum
Minis to have even a single amendment
considered by the committee. When
Cummins, learned in constitutional law,
gasped in establishment and inquired
"what. Am I TO understand that I am
not to be accorded a hearing for
single amendment before this commit
tee?" Chairman Aldrich smiled blandly
and replied You are going 70 present
them to the senate are you not?'' Yes,
said Cummins. Wen then, why waste
time going over the same ground
twice." was his sneering explanation
OF closing his committee absolutely to
all deliberation.
But now comes an Aldrich made bill
upon the vital and enormous question
OF srbitrating freight rate disputes and
in a minority report Senator's Cummins
and Clapp call the countrys attention
to the throat cutting which is about to
Z be done to the shipper who hereafter
has the audacity to appeal to the inter-
state commerce commission. As it now
is when the commission decides in favor
of the shipper and an appeal is taken
to the supreme court the commission
turns around and employs the services
of the shippers lawyer to defend its
decision whose special knowledge of
the complicated case has enabled him
to win the decision which he defends,
In this manner the decision favorable
to a shipper obtains an effective de-
tense in a real law suit before the SUI
preme court.
The Aldrich bill proposes to put an
end to ali this. Hereafter when rail-
roads wish to attack a decision or or
der of the commission they will not
enjoin the commission but they must
bring suit against the United States
and it is expressly provided that Meth
er the commission nor any parties in
terested in the decision can take any
part in the proceedings before the new
commerce court. The attorney generals
department will defend the United
States and both the commission which
decreed the order and the shipper with
his attorney who secured the order
must sit by blindfolded and with hands
tied while our modern buccaneers go
thru the pockets Of a helpless shipping
public.
Such was only one of the features
of bill which the insurgenc members
of the Aldrich committee wanted to
amend but whose amendments were
barred from the committee room in
which they sat. And it is reported to
he an administration measure!