The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-01-15
COMMERCE BOARD
TO Be VERY BUSY
Is Confronted With Greatest
Congestion OF Import
ant Matters Now.
NEW CHAIRMAN NAMED
Commissioners Do Not Think
1t Will Take Long to
Complete Tasks.
~ SIDNEY EsPEY.

~ SIDNEY EsPEY.
Washington. Jan. 14.-With the ar
rival Of the New Year, the interstate
commerce commission is confronted
by the greatest congestion of import
mt business that has como to it In
years.
Tho two new members recently ap-
pointed have already subscribed to
tho oath OF Office, and some radical
changes are now looked for in the
methods OF handling business.
With the retirement OF Chairman
Martin A. Knapp. after many years of
servicc. the commissions first step
was to select new chairman. In re-
cent times presidents have not at.
tempted to influence the choice of a
chairman and consequently Mr.. Knapp
succeeded himself from year to year.
partly by reason of his position as
senior member and partly because Of
bis long experience and qualifications
Tor executive duties. .=.
Commissioner Judson c. Clements
Of Georgia. became the senior men,
Der with the retirement OF Mr.. Knapp
and was elected to the craftsmanship.
He Is a Democrat. The reorganized
commission will include four Republi-
cans and three Democrats. Politics.
however. has never been recognized
factor In the commission, and 1t is ex-
pected that Judge Clements will be
unanimously chosen chairman.
Want to Rotate.
There Is, however. a distinct dispo.
sition to have new assignment in
this matter of tho craftsmanship. The
idea OF a permanent chairman sue.
cceding himself year after year. by
reason OF seniority. Is not regarded
with favor by the younger members OF
the commission. Accordingly. 1t Is
said that proposition will be made
to have the craftsmanship rotate
among the members. each holding the
Office a year.
Despite the general impression that
II IL swamped with work. the commits
sion Is decidedly cheerful about Its
prospects Of handling the load impos-
cd on II by the Hepburn act. and the
more recent Mann-Elkins bill.
Contrary to some published views
tho commissioners do not expect a
long delay before they can decide the
pending cases involving the proposed
general advances In freight rates.
With the makeup Of the new COM
al hao 81 -
TO just what influence the new mem.
bers will have upon the problems to
be solved. Hitherto a general impress
sion gained currency that II the old
commission had rendered, the decision
Il would have been favorable to the
railroads. The basis for this impress
sion was taken from some of Mr..
Knapp's public utterances. although
he discounted such statements in his
decisions.
With the new commission however
railroad experts are expecting that
the railroads will lose their fight for
Increased rates. They hold that the
commission. AZ now made up. will de-
aide against the enforcement of the
new tariffs fled few months ago. for
q, general advancement Of rates.
At this time. tho most important
question asked In elmer circles" il
whether there will DO any dissenting
opinion. II IL generally recognized
that tho majority Of the commission
certainly as many rs Ave OF its seven
members will decide that the increase
- unjustihable.
Increases Opposed.
Commissioners Prouty, Lane and
elements have from tho beginning
been set down as opposed to the in.
bcreases. Tho railroads have expected
10 get three of tho other four. but the
latest Information IL that they are
mistaken. Commissioner Harlan has
been thought likely to view the rail.
roads contention with favor, but It ID
stated that to tho contrary. he views
Tho proposed advances with decided.
BY unfricndly eye.
Hence the decision of the commits
kion regarding tho moro important
eases Of rate advances tends to hinge
bn tho two new members of the com.
mission recently appointed by Presi.
dent Taft--B. II. Meyer OF Wisconsin,
and G. &. McChord Of Kentucky. Both
Of these men have been connected
with railroad commissions OF their re.
spective states. and have waged bitter
legal battles in attempting to put laws
regulating railroads on the statute
books. Their fight has to great ex.
tent been against the railroads, rather
than with them, and 1t seems safe to
assume that the beliefs that controlled
them then will be reflected in their
opinions in tn rate cases.
Commissioner Meyer has been a
student OF railroads and their work.
ings all his life. Born In Mequon
Ozaukee county. Wisconsin. May %,
1866. no entered upon life in happy
surroundings. He attended the com,
mon schools, Wisconsin university and
the university OF Berlin. leaving that
institution with certificate as pro-
fessor OF economies and law. Later
he came back to the university oil
Wisconsin. where he was a member
OF the faculty until 1905. when he was
appointed to the state railroad com
mission. From that time on he has
been actively identified with railroad
life, having written much about the