The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-29

to destination. I recommended ID 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 power
to declare reasonable rates in respect
of telegraph, telephone, and express
companies A 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 deci-
siOns of the supreme court The time
during which the commission could
suspend the raising of a rate was en-
/ larged to four months, and after that,
if necessary, to six months longer, in
stead of the 60 days which [ had re-
commended. I had submitted the
question of the proper amendments to
the Attorney General and the Solicitor
General, to the Chief of the Interstate
Comm cree Commission, to Commis-
SiOner PrOuty, and to Senator Town
send, then a member of the Interstate
Commerce Committee of the house of
representatives, and I recommended
to Congress for inclusion 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 I re-
commended that were not approved
One was a recommendation that no
railroad company be allowed to ac-
Quire stock in a competing railroad
company, with such provisions for ex-
isting arrangements as would obviate
confusion, and the second reeommen-
dation in accordance with the platform
of the Republican party. and the urg-
that competing railroads should be
able to make temporary arrangements
for common rates between common
points without giving them any bind
ing character as contracts. 1t was
thought by congress, however, that
this would seriously affect the opera
ton of the antitrust act, and 1t was not
approved
Another recomm endation which I |
made was one forbidding interstate |
commerce railways to issue bonds and |
stocks without permission of the In |
terstate Commerce Commission. For
this provision was substituted a section |
providing a commission to be appoint |
ed by the president to make a report /
upon the feasibility and wisdom of
such provision, and that report will
be submitted to congress at the next
session.
think it is now generally conceded |
bv those who understand the opera |
lative power of the Interstate Com |
merce Commission is sufficiently great
to remedy generally the injustices to
shippers which gave rise to the de-
mand for legislation Except the in
PRODUCTION of a limitation as to the
power of issuing stocks and bonds. I
do not think 1t wise to add to the pres |
ent statutes
Interesting and Instructive.
The history of the operation of the |
interstate commerce act is interesting |
and Instructive Soon after the incep-
ton of the statute the railroads began
to treat the Interstate Commerce Com
mission quite contemptuously. The
system of unlawful rebates was very
widespread among them, and the neg
lect of the law as apparent to every
one interested in its operation. This
condition aroused the indignation of
the people and pressed their represen-
tatives on to further restrictions. IN
deed, it gave rise to a prejudice against
the railroads from which they have
suffered in some cases unjustly. Now,
I feel that they have become recon
oiled to the facts; they have come to
recognize that the public insists upon
regulating their business and seeing to
it through the Interstate Commerce
Commission that they do not violate
the law. 1 believe and hope that the
spirit of vindictiveness against these
great arteries of public commerce
Wnlcn the Hdl8ndtlOn OF the puDiiC
naturally prompted in their represen-
tatives is gradually disappearing.
Occasionally one hears the com plaint
that there is no room for enterprise
among railroads; that there is no in
ducement to further investment and
the extension of their lines; that some
body else is running their railroads
for them. and that all hope of pros
porous business in transportation has
I think this attitude is
as unreasonable on the one hand as
that of spite against a railroad because
it is railroad is on the other We all
have to face the condition that the
public insists. ana has right to insist.
upon the close regulation Of railroads