Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1910-06-18

portant thing is that it was heard by
the railroads; and they hoisted the white
lag Just as soon as they could. The
rate increases will not 90 into effect
until they have been found reasonable
by the interstate commerce commission.
That is certainly fair to all concerned.
| That leads up to the statement that
the administration finds itself more ac-
ceptable i'll the eyes of this country now
than for at least a year. In fact, the
administration is i'll better shape arountI
the country than some OF the insurgents
would lead one to believe.
! Take the cases of Indiana. Iowa and
Wisconsin. All three are nsurgent to the
core, jump up and howl whenever the
"standpat" is mentioned in the state.
! But they are putting forth their indorse-
ments fthe administration. The In
| diana Republican convention, made
famous by that Il could stand -for-i it.
then-and-I cannot stand for-it-nown
speech of Senator Beveridge on the tar
if, put an OK" on the present White
House administration. The results Of
the primaries i'll Iowa show that the
friends of Taft vii lbe in control of the
state Republican convention and it is
confidently expected that tlfc-Taft ad-
ministration will receive the conventions $
approval. Even now the praises of the
Taft administration at the Wisconsin
state Republican convention are echo
ing in our ears.
Bill Triumph
The conference agreement upon the
railroad bill was the distinct legislative
advance fthe past week in Congress.
The railroad measure as it left the CON
feress was a confirmation of the tri-
umph which the allied insurgent and
democratic forces had won in the House
and Senate separately in the interest OF
strict railway legislation.
Vastly superior in its provisions to the
bill drafted by the attorney general the
measure, if passed without destructive
amendment, will greatly strengthen the
arm o fthe government in the field of
railway supervision.
Among the important provisions adop-
ted in conference which were not com
mon to both the Senate and House drafts
We're the following:
The long and short haul clause of the
House bill, prohibiting the charging of
less rate for a long than for short
haul, except with permission granted Tor
a sufficient reason.
The Senate provision for ten months
suspension of suspected rates prior to
the determination of their reasonable
ness.
The creation Of a commission to in
spect the stocks and bonds of railways.
The placing of telegraph, telephone and
cable companies under the jurisdiction
of the interstate commerce commission.
The House provision enabling the in
terstate commerce commission to make
Investigations upon its own motion with
out waiting for the complaints hereto
fore necessary.
And the requirement that common
carriers establish and enforce classified
tion of property for transportation re-
gulations, and practices affecting class
ifications, rates, tariffs, tickets, receipts,
and bills of lading.
An additional innovation which the
bill creates in the federal system Of rail-
way control is the creation of special
commerce court in which will be tried
appeals from orders of the interstate
commerce commission, and other suits
in the courts instituted by railroads af-
fecting rates. with the extension to ship
pers fthe right to be represented in the
suits by council.
Provisions of the original administra-
tion measure which have failed to run
the fierce gauntlet Of Congressional de-
bate are those which would have per
mitted the railroads to make pooling
agreements; authorized the government
to regulate stocks and bonds, and per-
mitted railroad to purchase the remain
ing stock of another line in which it
already controls fifty per cent. of the
stock.
1t is believed that the New Jersey
delegation will cast a solid vote for the
bill Representative John J. Gardner
probably expressed the sentiment Of the
delegation when he said to your CORE
spondent, in response to a request
for his opinion, that he believed the rail
road measure to be good one.