The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-04-23

roads to increase tneT rdleS. Ne"
these same roads, through indirection
and by piecemeal, are trying to accom-
plish the very thing the commission
told them they could not do. AS part
of their strategy, the roads have filed
with the commission new classifica-
ton of freights-that Is, they have sub
mitted a plan whereby certain articles
Of one class, on which certain rate
is allowed, have been Jumped" into a
class above, carrying a higher rate. All
told, more than 1,400 articles have
been this reclassified and If the COM
mission permits this arrangement to
20 into effect the people will simply
have to pay more to have these arti-
cles hauled, because whenever a
freight rate is increased the retailer
must add the amount of the increase
to the retail price of the article. The
proposed increases range from ten to
three hundred per cent.
The roads we're careful to reduce the
rates on a certain number of articles,
apparently for the purpose OF detract-
ing attention from the many increases.
The state railroad commissions OF Is
states have united in protest against
the new classification, pointing out
that the proposed increases are more
than GO per cent in excess OF reduc-
tlons, and charging that the reclassi-
fcation plan is simply subterfuge to
get through big increase OF rates.
The public has no objection to the
railroads paying increased wages to
it's workmen, but welcomes such In
creases. The public has no objection
to the railroads making a good gener-
GUS rate of interest on money invest
ed in railroad properties. The public
does not wish to see the railroads
hampered in any way, because they
are the arteries of commerce of the ma
ton. But the public does object to
the railroads requiring the public to
nay enormous dividends In addition to
creating huge annual surplus on
money that is not invested, and on cap
italization that represents nothing
| more than blue air.
| Senator LaFollette has shown that
the corporations of this country are
capitalized at $31 ,672, 100000, and that
70 per cent of this capitalization Is
water. More and more water is con-
stantly being injected into the capt
talizaton Of the railroads, which
makes it necessary for the roads to be
continually boosting freight rates and
increasing the cost OF living to every
man. woman and child in the nation.
Under the Roosevelt and Taft ad-
ministrations, Congress refused to pass
a bill providing for a physical valua'
ton of railroad properties, which ap-
pears to he the only solution of the
evil which permits the gouSing of the
common people in order that few
railroad magnates may be still fur
ther enriched. Before this session clos
es, however. the Democratic House
win enact such legislation, the bill
having already been favorably report
ed from the committee on interstate
and foreign rates,
Blocked by Senate Standpatters
The Democratic House OF Represen-
tatives started out, in this session OF
Congress, to cut down the expenses
of government. Many slashes were
made into government eXtravagance,
but in no case was cut made without
\ the most careful study The effort to
save money for Uncle Sam was thor
oughiy honest one
The economy program of the Demo
Gratis, however, is being fought at ev
cry turn by the Senate Standpatters
who have promptly placed back into
the appropriation bills either all or q
part of the amounts trimmed out OF
them when they were passed in the
House. The Democrats proposed tc
put a stop to practices, long preVa
| rent, Oh SueuuiuS SpNNl hAiNii' iuhN' W.
no other purpose than to allow certain
Senators to keep themselves in Con
gress, and to cut out unnecessary ex
pense all along the line The saving
if the Democratic bills should g'
through as they passed the House
would he tremendous. The Senate
Old Guard however, looks upon th'
right to dip into the treasury at will
as a God given perogatlve, and tbs
appropriation bills were promptly re
stored to their former size Just as soor
as the Senate committees, dominated
by the Standpatters, got n hold o
them.
The Democratic leaders have an
nounced, however that they will In
sist on some of the cuts, and they will
adopt drastic measures to enforce thei
position unless the Senate recedes.
The Old Guard Senators want bi
expense bill. so they will be able t