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Show TIIE RAILROAD RILL. Tim Cuniniiiis r.-iilrnail Mil, now pnml-in pnml-in in llm son.'il in lK'in subjected to M'vcro rrilirism l.y nu'inhcr.s of tho a.s-booi.-dion of r;til;iy cx.'out ives. S;im-iicl S;im-iicl Kc;i, president of I ho ronnsylvani:i ro:nl, in ;iddn.-s-dii I ho convention of the. American Hankers' association ;it I-M. Louis, declared the. measure, was del riinentn 1 to tl;.', progress of tho railroads and .compared sonic features of it, to the fifth wheel of a wupiii. Passage of tho hill in its present form would cause confusion, in the t ho opinion opin-ion of President. Ken. The criticism of t hpi exocu!ivos is supplemented hy an opinion of former Supreme, Court .lustieo Charles U. iliiyhcs, who holds that the attempt of section (i of tho Cummins hill lo appropriate earnings in excess of what the interslato commcrco commission shall dotr'nninu to be a "fair return"' upon tho value of the property of a railroad, is in violation of tho const itul ion of tho Tjnitcd Stales. Mr. h'ea and tho other executives execu-tives insist that the roads bo returned to lh'ir owners and President Wilson has declared that ho will turn them hack before tho first of tho year, legislation legis-lation or no legislation. Many months have passeil since the whole matter was put. into the hands of congress, hut it is pvhVnt the problem is no nearer solution so-lution now than il was last December. It i.s also evident, that if the president changes his mind about returning tho roads I his year such return may not take place until after tho next presidential presi-dential election, which is a long timo lo wait. It is our belief that both houses of congress should get down to business and take up tho railroad question ques-tion in earnest. It is impossible to dodge responsibility for delay. Let the Cummins bill bo amended and passed so that the railroads of tho country may escape further blight under control of tho government. Pailuro to act will be regarded as a confessiou of inipot-euey. |