Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-01

freorent recommendation. that competing
railroads be permitted to make thirty
day agreements as to the rates they
would charge between common points,
from which either OF the parties could
recede at will.
Held Sherman Act Sacred.
1.-The insurgents insisted on throwing
out both these features, because they
found something in them Inconsistent
with the Sherman act. which in those
days was regarded as the !. ark Of the
covenant instead Of a target for attack
or amendment as now. Although my pro-
posals were progressive, I accepted a
half loaf rather than no bread, and
signed the bill go
Into the postal savings bill the Senate
insurgents tried to inject an amendment
which would have left me no escape from
veto. They wanted to stake down the
deposits in the neighborhoods where
made.s forbtdding the government. to re
move the money except in an emergency
of war. This was an intolerable propo-
sition, because 1t would have greatly en-
barrassed the government and would have
seriously interfered with It's ability to
meet at once its oblisations. The only
way 1t was beaten was by mastering the
votes of the regulars, and then it was
close shave.
but your conservation measure sur
vived?"
Yes, to my great relief: for It not only
about seventy million acres OF land on
my own account, but validated the with.
drawals already made, which, If carried
into court, might have kept us IN sus-
penserfor long period.
Perhaps I ought to say here that there
was another interference by the insur-
gents with my railroad program.
wanted to have the companies prohibited
q m
prevail Of the interstate commerce COM
mission. This the insurgents finally, with
the aid of the democrats, defeated, but
we procured the substitution Of pro-
Vision authorizing me to appoint the stock
and bond commission. OF which President
Hadley Is now chairman, to report upon
the whole subject. The Hadley commits
sion Is composed Of strong men, and will
probably get at the kernel of the matter"
Won After Hard Fight.
"Apropos of commissions, was 1t not
you who proposed turning over to one
the whole question of postal rates for
newspapers and magaxines?"
s.It was, and L had hard time getting
my way but believe 1t will yesult IN
the only possible satisfactory solution OF
this ,ve1edr issue. I,Anow what you are
5 5SaS e Hughes & arc f ri tent
you. wanted some one whose opinion
would have the weight of judicial au-
thority. Besides. Justice Hughes won his
reputation at the bar by his gift for Dor
Ing to the innermost core Of a subject.
and that ls the only way we can set
tie this. postage question. Certainly the
Judgment of three such men az Mr.. JUS
tice Hughes. President Lowell Of Harvard
and Mr.. Wheeler. president Of the Chi
cago Association Of Commerce, made up
after full hearing and argument from
both sides, Is one which all fair minded
men will be willing to accept
Then, Mr. President, there 10 your
tariff board. You have been sharply crit
icjsed for making It up Of men who are
not taTiH experts
rAnd that is true; they are not. II
had ,hean appointing board Of tari6 ex-
perts' could not have got along with
less than twenty-five, In order to do jus
-eiee to all brsnches Of the subject. What
I undertook to do was to make up
board of'.traiued Investigators, capable
Of managing:a thorough inquiry into costs
of production. and Of analyzing its ele-
ments. First. Mr.. MacVeagh wrote to
friends I'm leading universities. asking
each to- give me a list Of the economists
considered by them best equipped for the.
task In hand.