Evening star., 1926-04-05
Sectional Line-Up Defeated
Long-and-Short-Haul Bill

Des Moines paper, "that the Middle
West is interested in lower rates for
long hauls The Middle West turned
out to be Chicago and interests direct"
ly related to Chicago"
The Topeka Daily State Journal
puts the situation as follows: THE
Gooding bill brought up the question
of justice to inland shippers or justice
to the railroads and the roads won'i
therefore. the Middle West Will con.
tinue TO pay for the competition OF
the Panama Canal"
X x X r
Recognizing merit In the declarat
ton of the proponents Of the Gooding'
Hoch bill that the present rates
amount to discrimination against the
| interior, particularly the intermoun'
! tain territory that lies between the
Rockies and the Sierra" yet conced-
ing that there have been some good
arguments on both sides" the Indians
apolis News comes to the conclusion
that there can hardly be denials
| though, that the long-haul rate plan
| is q form of subsidy TO the railroads
paid by the interior" The Grand
Rapids Press feels there 'is no rea~
son fifty million people should be made
to suffer in reduced markets for the
sake of the two or three million who
might benefit by the Gooding bill"
| The GAINESVILLE Daily Gazette also cor,
siders that the bill sought special
advantage for a strip of territory
which is least populated of all the
United States" and that its provisions
were economically unsound."
The Providence Journal concurs ire
| the opinion that the measure was uns
sount and the Louisville Courier
Journal insists that only 10 the
wholesale and jobbing interests of the
intermountain territory could the
passage Of the bill have been bere,
fetal.
:: * =.
on the other hand. the Philadels
phia Evening Bulletin asserts that 4,
because of water competition, the Pa,s
Cific Coast enjoys transportation ads
YantageS discriminating against the
Mountain States, and If the Inter-
state Commerce Commission will nok
| find some way 70 put the Mountain
States on q fair competitive rate basis,
| then the matter clearly appears to
call for correction by Congress" In
fact, the Spokane Spokesman Review
| predicts that. without q shadow OF
doubt. Congress will eventually pass
| this important measure for regional
I justice and national welfare"
But it is to congressional interfer.
/ ence in rate making that many object.
| To have ''let down the bars for Con-
gress to settle delicate rate questions
! by it's own action would inevitably
mean political bargaining and az
| changes of favors,' says the Spring.
| field Republican. The Baltimore sun
affirms its belief that there cou'5 &c
no stability in railroad rates il every
city, every State and every railroad
which thought they had a grievance
could start propaganda for relief by
! legislation
\ The Chicago Daily News. upholding
! the Interstate Commerce Commission.
considers it would be departing from
| the first canon of sound legislation"
| to ask Congress Ito tie the hands of
4 n body of experts The Green BaV
| Press Gazette prefers judicial rates
! to legislative rates" and was opposes
to the bill because it would have d@
! priyed the Interstate Commerce CoN0s
mission of discretionary powers Il
now possesses"
| Relief will come to the Central
! States in the opinion of the Duluth
| Herald through 1.-The opening of the
! ST Lawrence TO give them the benefit
! of cheap water transportation to the
markets of the world" The Salt
! Lake Deseret News thinks the ''ques-
| ton of Western freight rates will
never be solved satisfactorily until
trolled by the Government are J.
! Justed so as to be more in keenSa
with overland charges"