Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-10-02
PRESIDENT TAFT TALKS ON
GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS.

! furious delay of remedy which was Oc-
casioned to the shippers whenever I'M
reasonable advances in rates were
made. The interstate commerce COM
mission might find the advance I'M
reasonable only after a long hearing,
and after il had gone into effect, and
after the unreasonable rates had been
collected for considerable period l
suggested that the Interstate commerce
commission might have power to sus-
pend such an order for 60 days and
| look into its reasonablenss, and that
| if it be found unreasonable it should
not be permitted
l invited attention also to the COM
plant of the shippers that they did
not have the power to direct the route
over which their shipment should pass
to destination. l recommended that
| this be given them, subject to such
reasonable regulation as the commits
sion might prescribe.
All these provisions in one form or
another were enacted into the law. In
addition. the house of representatives
added to the jurisdiction of the inter-
state commerce commission the pow
=
spect To telegraph. telephone, and ex-
press companies. \ modification was
made in the senate regarding the long
and short haul clause. which gave more
discretion to the interstate commerce
commission than that which it had
heretofore exercised under the decisions
of the supreme court. The time during
which the commission could suspend
the raising Of a rate was enlarged to
| four months, and after that. if neces-
I Sary, to six months longer. instead of
the 60 days which HAD recommended
| l had submitted the question of the
proper amendments to the Attorney
| General and the solicitor general. to
the chief of the interstate commerce
commission. to Commissioner Prouty.
and to Senator Townsend. then q mem
/ Der of the interstate commerce COM
mittee of the house of representatives.
/ and I recommended to congress for in
clusiOn in the bill the provisions which
they recommended to me. The bill
was enacted in the form in which |
| have indicated There were certain
amendments that l recommended that
We're not approved. one was = recon-
mendation that no railroad company
be allowed TO acquire stock in q COM
peting railroad company. with such
provisions for existing arrangements
as would obviate confusion. and the
second recommendation in accordance
with the platform of the republican
party. and the urgent messages Of my
predecessor, was that competing rail-
roads should be able To maze tenn
porary arrangements for common rates
between common points without Civ
ing them any binding character as con-
tracts. It was thought by congress.
however that this would seriously af-
feet the operation of the antitrust act.
and it was not approved.
Another recommendation which |
made was one forbidding Interstate
commerce railways 10 issue bonds and
stocks without permission of the in
terstate commerce commission. For
this provision was substituted a sec
lion providing a commission To be
appointed by the president to make
report upon the feasibility and
wisdom of such a provision, and that
report will be submitted to congress
at the next session.
1 think is is now generally con-
coded by those who understand the
operation of the present law that the
regulative power Of the interstate
commerce commission is sufficiently
great 10 remedy generally the iniu-
rics to shippers which gave rise to
the demand for legislation. Except
the Introduction Of limitation as to
the power of issuing stocks and
bonds, l do not think it wise to add
to the present statutes
The history of the operation of the
interstate commerce act is interesting
and instructive. Soon after the in
ception Of the statute the railroads
began to treat the interstate COM
merce commission quite contemptu-
ously. The system Of unlawful re-
bates was very widespread among
them, ard the neglect of the law was
apparent to everyone interested in its
operation. This condition aroused the
Indignation Of the people and pressed
their representatives on to further
restrictions. Indeed, il gave rise To-
a prejudice against the railroads from
which they have suffered i'm some
NeAF''S AAAJAHAA9- -N'Nr lftA AlleAl AlltN
have become reconciled to the facts:
they have come to recognize that the
Public insists on regulating their bust
ness and seeing to it through the in
terstate commerce commission that
they do not violate the law. I be-
lieve and hope that the spirit of
vindictiveness against these great ar
tories of public commerce which the
indignation of the public naturally
prompted in their representatives is
gradually disappearing.
Occasionally one hears the com