Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-04-14
Dec.lfes 1aifo,d; Ire nh,'
kldl,g fablle n !. Caiil | ] M !.
iR Biahef Tariffs
People AlE not HOSTILE
Caaledes C,Ilills Are En-,
ale1 10 Soae Relief
From eoveFan

tTvm U0veIh
Washington, April Ex-senator
Cummins charged on the floor Of the
senate today that a persistent and
widespread campaign was being made !
to arouse public sympathy Tor the
request for a 5 per cent increase n
freight rates ON eastern 'rafhDads,. 4
now pending before the interstate
commerce commission. The senator
express ed confidence that the COM
mission would decide the question on
Its merits, but said the public was.
being mislead by incorrect and ex.
aggeratsd statements. #
Senator CuMmins compared the rail.
road situati6lf with the Panama canal
tolls question, declaring that al ad.
vance in 5railroad rates of five per
cent viii am6,,nt in one year to more
than ALI the tolls paid by all 1.-The
Iships that. will 10. through the canal
IN twelve or fifteen years, and mora
tran ,America-l coastwise ships. y
they paid full toll, would be chargedEt
In half a century. ,1
Regulation a Failure. s,S
s''In connection, with the proceedings
before the commission" he contiil.t
led. there. is in progress the. most
|comprehensive, energetic and persist.
ent, campaign that have ever wit
messed to make the people OF the
|ccuntry- believe that the. effort, Of the
eoyernniant to regulate railways. rail-
aassa I'D II Y has
|fssIGifad III dismal disastrous failure;
that the government id it's endeavor
20 sprctect s.the people has eimpoverish.
ade the transportation companies, that
1t. has driven time to the very verge
Of bankruptcy and rain: that it has
destroyed their credit and rendered
them incapa BILE of performing the SER
vice which commerce demands; that
It has sOutlawed trem from the con-
| ffidence OF capital and exiled them
from the field of the invester.
"This extraordinary campaign has
titled the newspapers with headlines,
with dispatches. with letters and with
editorials. It has taken possession
of the magazines cut Of which WEEK
after week issue appeals for Justice
to the decadent, railroads and to des'
pondent railroad managers, and 1t CIV
es ilnneros aad holds public banqnets
where the elequence Of orators paints
lurid pictures Of empty treasurers, OF
worn.out tracks, Of falling bridges and
delapidated equipment" :.
pictures Of Empty Treasures.
Senator Cummins quoted from sew
eral mazagines and newspaper stor'
les giving accounts of how different
! railroads had been forced to dls'
cha rye large numbers of employees
and retrench in their expenditures.
| II do not assert that the campaign
Is baiag carried on to affect the COM
mission, he continued, "for the rail-
road companies know that 1t cannot
he swerved hairs breadth from the
path OF its duty, but do assert that
the movers OF this campaign are try
ing to do an infinitely more object
lioaabIe thing. TheA @re trying to
mislead and prevert the judgment OF
the people. They are trying to awak'
en- sympathy by false pretenses.
They are trying to deceive the conn'
try with exaggerated cries of sli1er'
ing and distress in order to escape
the control which experience has
demonstrated sh ould bes imposed up
oa, all corporations which undertake
a public service"
Denies Hostility.
4 TIE senator denied that the people
OF the United States are hostile to
the railroads aad said that every one
desired that all railroads be well
CONSTRUCTED and well operated. He
did not doubt that there were some
rates which should be increased, ana
some which should be decreased.
senator Cummins recalled that
su bs tantially all the railroad rates
lncw prevailing were made by the
railroads themselves, and added that
inhis opinion ninety-five per cent
OF the freight revenues Of the rail-
roads are derived from interstate
freight rates made and published
without an interference upon the
part of the government. He added
that he believed that the physical
condition of the railroads is better
low than ever before in their history.
= Cites Property Values. .
'It, follows, of course" he con.
tinued. that the railroad property
devoted to the public service is mora
valuable at this moment than at any
other moment since railroads began.
we ought to understand that we are
dealing VITA the most perfect and
complete railroad system that this
world has ever known, prepared to
Continued on page two)