The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1926-03-19

of our best citizens have believed that
railroad influence dominated, in a
large measure, the appointment OF
members on that commission ana 1
am some times afraid there is mucn
IN that contention and, while 40 not
believe IN government ownership Oh
railroads, yet if we are going 10 per
NIT the selfish interests CT america
to dominate and control our transpor-
tatlon policy then we had better nave
government ownership"
Senator Gooding paid his respects
to Chicago and the fight it is max
ing against the long and short haul
bill and reminded the senate that
while Chicago is trying to destroy
cOastwise shipping through the Pana-
ma canal" it is asking congress to
build the Lakes-to- Gulf and st. Lawr-
ence waterways, that Chicago may en-
JOY the advantages of direct ocean
borne transportation.
The senator also paid his respects
to A. T. Thorn, general counsel for
the railway executives, the only rail
road man who appeared before the
committee in opposition to the Good
ing bill, and quoted Thcm's famous
remark about the intermOuntaln cOun-
try not agreeing with the railroads
about developing the interior Tor job
bing and manufacturing.
1.-The statement so often made that
the transcOntinental railroads are not
interested in the interior is only too
true" declared Senator GOOding, "and
God pity any part of America that is
left to the tender mercies of Wall
street.
Tyranny Forced on West.
Talk about tyranny. Never in the
reign of the car of Russia was there
anything more vicious than the tyr
amy forced upon the people of the
interior of this country in the dis
elimination in freight rates by the
transcontinental railroads, and all b
the authority of this government"
Senator Gooding concluded his
speech with an elaborate showing r.
the earnings Of the transcontinental
railroads, declaring that the last five
years have been the most prosperous
IN their existence. "And yet in face
Of this prosperity" he said, "these
railroads are trying to destroy our
icoastWlse transportation through the
Panama canal, and at the same time
are demanding an increase of 5 per
cent in freight rates"
Since 1890 Senator Gooding showed
that railroad tonnage has increased
443 per cent, but railroad mileage in
creased only 106 per cent.
We have reached a point of sat
uratlon in rail transportation" he de-
lclared, "and unless we develop trans
portatlon on our inland waterways,
development Of the country must halt.
Fess Vigorously Objects.
Senator Fess, in replying, to Sena-
tor Gocdlng, vigorously objected, he
said, to taking the rate-making power
IRON the interstate commerce COM
mission and giving it to congress,
which he said operates from political
motives. THAT" he added, els the
greatest danger there is in this pro-
posal."
When he declared the commission
would not sanction a rail rate so low
as TO threaten water competition,
Senator Pittman interrupted, and
drew from Fess his idea that long
haul transcOntinental rates might
properly be lowered to a point where
the railcarriers could get half the
coastwise tonnage now moving thru
the Panama canal. If the rail rate
IS so lowered, Pittman wanted to
know what would prevent the rail
carriers grabbing all this traffic.
Reads List of r. r. Dividends
Senator GOOding read a list of divi-
dends paid by the Oregon Short Line.
Southern Pacific, Northern Pacific
Great Northern, Santa Fe and other
railroads, to support the contention
that the roads are prosperous and do
not require the rate changes request
ed.
Speaking at length upon the con-
dition of the Chicago, Milwaukee &
st. Paul he declared that graft and
corruption wrecked this line"
Pointing out that enactment of the
measure would benefit ports of the
Pacific northwest, he declared that
Portland is only a village compared
to what it would be if discrimination
IN freight rates were prohibited"