New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-30
rFrom The Tribune Bureau


r-p tn MR. Tap~T-The success OF far
ure Of the administration interstate COM
merce bill. the most important measure On
the Taft legislative programme. depends en-
tirely on the President himself, or al iess'
on his ability to control the votes CT SUM
Gent number Of insurgents to effect the
adoption OF a conference report which VIII
have stricken out the provision adopted yes
terday. including telegraph and telephone
lines in the provisions of the bill, ana tilat
adopted to-day providing for the physic"i
valuation Of railroads The House leaders
frankly admit their total inability to contrcl
the House. in which the insurgents and the
Democrats constitute a majority. 1t Is
fully appreciated that the Senate will not
accent either OF these provisions; in fac,
Senator Cuumins. one of the leading insur-
gents, is committed TO opposition to the
phvsical valuation proposition. In view Of
the impotence Of the leaders. the only pos
sible effective power over the House insur-
gents is that which may be exerted by
President Taft and. should his influence
prove insufficient. he would doubtless Wit
ness the complete failure of the interstate
commerce bill. a result which would prob
ably occasion such Reorganization as to end
programme. The House leaders have lost
heart. and are the more disheartened by the
absence Of the President although they
hone he will be able to recover the lost
ground on his return.
TEL ,EGRAPH AND TELEPHONE.-It is
not generally known that President Taft
some time ago reached an agreement with
Representative Mann. chairman of the
Committee on Interstate Commerce, and
other members of that committee TO begin
the consideration of some measure providing
for complete federal supervision over inter
state telegraph and telephone lines at the
nexe session Of Congress. IL is appreciated
that TO prepare a measure which will effect
such supervision and stand the tests Of the
court is little short Of a herculean task.
II will Involve extensive hearings and
nature celebration. Many new problems
must be met and solved on most Of which
present legislative experience throws COM
paratiyely little light. The problems af-
fecting the transmission of messages vary
widely from those of transporting freight
and passengers. The present interstate
commerce law is a thing OF many patches.
1t has been modified more than once to
conform TO decisions of the Supreme Court.
The railroad rate law of the last admins
tration was only an amendment whereby
it was sought practically TO carry out the
intent of the original law, enacted in 1887.
SAMPLE PROBLEMS-A fundamental
principle of the interstate commerce law.
as amended by the Elkins bill and the
railroad rate law. and as about to be
amended by the pending measure, is that
there shall be no discrimination between
shippers. The mere inclusion of telegraph
and telephone companies under that
law and without definite and detailed
provisions would compel the abolition OF
discriminatory telegraph rates, and the
telegraph companies would be compelled
to charge the same rates for newspaper
dispatches as for commercial messages, on
night messages and might letters as on
day messages etc. whereas the custom of
leasing wires for certain periods of the day
to brokers, newspapers and others would
have to be discontinued. At present there
exists between all railroad and telegraph
companies contracts whereby given
amount of telegraph service is exchanged
for the use by the telegraph companies OF
the railroad rights OF way. Such exchanges
are expressly forbidden by the interstate
commerce law. so that railroads may not
even exchange transportation for sdver-
Using. OF course any law which is TO
under the provisions Of the interstate COM
merce law must stipulate Row far this pro-
hibition shall apply. etc.