The Washington herald., 1914-03-04
should Grant Increase.

ings and Trust Co.; Charles II. Grasty,
Proprietor. Baltimore Sun.
should Grant Increase.
Mr.. Willard declared the railroads of
the country welcome any investigation
the Interstate Commerce Commission
may desire to make. He insisted that the
commission should grant the rate in
crease pending its inquiry. because, he
said. transportation lines are sorely in
need of additional revenue for improve
ments and betterments demanded by the
public.
Mr.. Willard declared he felt satisfied
that the commission would grant the in
crease after all the needs of carriers are
considered. The real conditions Of trans
poration lines together with the demand
for improvements, he said, are strong
enough TO Justify the increase.
Mr.. willard said IL Is true that the
gross earnings OF the railroads are
greater today than ever before, but
that additional funds are needed for
betterments. which will keep trans
pOrtation lines busy for the next five
years. Mr.. willard also referred to the
opinion of the Interstate Commerce
Commission in which 1t was held that
indirect means to give rebates to big
shippers. He declared that the COM
mission had known for years OF the
industrial line" conditions.
Underwood Defends Tariff.
Representative Underwood argued in
favor of the tariff. When ths measure
was first contemplated. he said. Advocates
of the bill had a foundation upon
which n work merely n fhROFv This
theory which they had in mind. IL sue
cessful, would be of unestimable benefit
to the country.
''Unquestionably," said Mr.. Underwood.
this theory has proved success as far
as II has gone
Col. John c. Schoonmaker. of the Pitts
burgh and Lake Erie, a union veteran,
told OF his experiences in West Virginia
during the war. He said he was familiar
with the country where Senator Davis
spent most of his life.
Introducing the next speaker. Senator
Davis said:
During the campaign OF 1894 voters OF
the country said Senator Davis is too
old. but We are going to vote for him
because he is a running mate of that dis
tinguished statesman, Judge Parker
whom l now introduce to you"
senator Davis Praised.
Judge Parker devoted his remarks to
the per cent increase now being sought
by the railroads. He lauded Senator Da-
Wis and called attention to the fact that
he was a member of the first committee,
known as the select committee for sea-
board transportation. in December lS72
and that among his associates on that
committee were Senators Windum Conk-
ling, and Sherman. He said Senator Da-
Wis was born almost before railroads
were thought of. and that surely he was
in active life before the first railroad was
built in the United States.
Judge Parker declared that the senti-
ment OF the press and the people was
changing in favor OF the railroads. There
was a time when both the press and the
people looked on the railroads with sus-
picion. This he said was due in a large
degree TO agitation stirred up by men
unfamiliar with railroad conditions To-
daT he said that IS per cent OF the press
was with the railroads in their fight for
the rate increase. whereas not long ago
a poll of the papers in the country
showed that only "A per cent were favor
able
lie predicted that a new area was
dawning in which the people were de-
manding that the railroads should re-
ceive justice at the hands of Federal
and State governments.
President Rea closed the banquet
with a eulogy of Senator Davis. He
told OF his earlier life and paid a high
tribute to his services in the United
States