Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-16

balance of foreign trade was in our
favor we as a nation enjoyed pros
perity; labor was employed and busI-
nessmen were making money. Those
conditions prevail now, but outside of
the limited area of the steel industry
the country is not prospering. On a
recent trip to the Pacific coast saw
more idle men than ever before in my
life. And why? Because tne 1egis-
lation at Northumberland l am in no.
wise blaming the present administra-
ton alone in this-has been such as
to cause capital to hesitate, and when
that is the case capital surers ana
labor is idle.
Must Have Regulation
I'VE must have regulation of lines
of business that tend toward monopoly
natural or otherwise, but when we get
beyond that range we are ON delicate
ground" he said. I'm general big
business cannot go beyond a certain
limit with success" the Senator de-
clared, and cited the United States
Steel corporation and the Standard Oil
as instances of wheer the independ-
ents are gaining more rapidly than
the so-cailed monopolies. He cited the
Chaflin failure as having been caused
by carrying a business beyond its
proper limits.
Mr.. Weeks said the trouble has been
regulate it went to extremes. Many
evils required remedy, he said, but the
government had been required to go
beyond what he believes to pe reason
able limits in that direction and the
results has been that everybody is
suffering. Our tendency has been all
| toward restrictive legislation instead
of toward the enactment or laws that
would permit of proper growth and
| expansion" he said, and he urged that
In the future the people be sure of
the efficacy of any suggested remedy
before enacting it into law. The
extremists may be good people, he
said, but in many cases tney are
dangerous
| Half-Baked Legislation
As an example of this half baked
| Legislation he cited the Cummins bag
| gage law, which is not what 1t was
designed to be. and the Va Toilette
seamen's law which instead of uplift-
ing the men of the merchant marine
J is driving every ship of American
register off the oceans. The valuation
which the government has ordered to
| be taken of the railroads az cost of
$75,000,000 and requiring 25 years of
work was cited as another example of
foolish laws of regulative nature and
in this connection Senator Weeks said
that unless some way is found to place
lation that will yield a constant and
certain reasonable income for the rail-
roads many of them will pass INTO the
| hands of receivers at no late date.
Much regulation is necessary he said,
| but it should not be such es VIII re-
suit in confiscation of properly and the
! injury of the service which the public
expects the railroads to perform and
which they must perform II they are
| to fulfill their purDoseS
| CriticizeS Comptroller
Senator Weeks severely criticised
Comptroller of the Currency Williams
for his attitude toward banks and said
he was a type of the public official who
believes his own regulations to be
| equivalent to legislative enactment.
Such men in commissions or otherwise
employed in regulative functions of
government are dangerous, he
thought, and he said that there is al
ways a chance of getting thoroughly
honest but mistaken men into such
/ places.
The senator concluded with the ex-
pressed hope that the nation Will do
nothing that will put government con-
troll and red tape before personal
initiative and enterprise.
Senator Weeks was introduced by
| Ed. S. Herman, q director or the cham
ber, who was chairman of the meet
| ing. Mr.. Herman IN presenting the
speaker dwelt briefly on the subject
under discussion, saying that he be-
lieved no businessman or corporation
objected to wise investigation or regu-
lation, but that the danger ray In go
| ing too far.
Pays Tribute to Olmsted
The meeting was attended by Con-
gresham Kreider, Public Service COM
missioner Ainey and Senaor Beidle-
man.. The speaker referred to his as
sociation 7 with Messrs. Ainey and
Kreider and paid a high tribute to
the memory of Congressman Olmsted
as "sane and sensible" legislator. IN
this respect he said that businessmen
are to blame for unfavorable laws be-
cause they do not insist sufficiently in
the enactment of their ioeas and he
said that in many cases the wise Con-
gressman is not he VINO makes
speeches, and INDUCES in the framing
of many bills, but who WORKS quietly
and carefully in committee ana helps
to defeat bad legislation.
After the luncheon Senator Weeks
visitd the capitol in company with Ed
S. Herman, Donald Mccormick and
William Jennings.