The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-08
UNDE RWOOD URGES
 CONGRESS TO STOP
 UNFAIR METHODS.
Says Railroads Are Strang- ling Competition of Nations Waterways Senate En-
 gages in Lively Debate
tcontinued From Page one)

penalized to carry the cost of crush ing water power competition in one small section. The fault is in the law which permits railroads to lower their rates in a given locality with this very purpose in view"
 In reply to questions, Mir Under- wood said the clause to which he re- ferred would be found in Section f of the interstate commerce act.
 Every man in the Mississippi val ley," he declared, knows that the railroads deliberately set out to crush water competition-and did so.
 Ever since 1 have been in Con- gress l have witnessed these at- tacks from members from mountain districts. Whenever the great west has appealed to the south for support in any great economic need the south has been with them. But on this question of great importance to the south l find the very men who sought our help are against us, I confess I cannot see the business of that attitude"
 GoOding Speaks
 Senator Gooding, republican, Idaho. declared no authority was conveyed to the railroads under Section 4 of the interstate commerce act to lower rates to crush competition, but that such authority had been assumed because of a precedent established in ruling by the interstate commerce commission relating to the so-calIed short haul" clause. MT. Goodine. said there had been Il, 200 violations of Section 4 within recent years" adding that there could be no hope of successful water transportation as long as the commissions precedent was allowed to stand.
 For example," he said, in our state we are not allowed to ship wheat 400 miles to Portland, but are compelled to ship 800 miles to Chicago. These violations are not of the past, as has been suggested. Within the last six months we had a railroad rate on wool to Boston of S1.50, while the rate from points 600 niles nearer was $2.05."
 Senator Lenroot, republican, Wis consin, criticized the item, because the report of the army engineers as to indicated allotments showed what he described as inordinate amounts to he described as inordinate amounts to eets. He cited several of these in which the proposed expenditures would represent -n average of from $4 to $20 ton for every ton moved last year over the waterway in ques- tion.
 Senator King, democrat, suggested it might be well to take the item out of the army bill but Senator Len root said it would be impossible with fle end of the session
 Even if the republican leaders agreed" he said, and the commit tee reported the new bill, there would be sufficient republican votes with a solid democratic te to defeat t. The politics in the rivers and harbors bill."
 Senator Norris, republican. Ne braska. also deplored the inclusion of ''indefensible" items, the result being, he saiI, to cast doubt upon the en- tire measure.
 There is only o:a place in the United States" MT. Norris exclaimed, where a man who t--lks economy is ridiculed. and that's on the floor of the Senate"
 Senator Williams, democrat. Mis- sissppi. retorted that the speaker was attempting to mc-.-ure the future against the immediate benefits to be derived from the appropriations.
 If that had been the policy in the past MT. Williams said, i've would still be struggling eople, confined to thin strip on the Atlantic coast There can be no bears on the ques- tion of Americas future; every sensi- bIe man is a bull"