| OCR Text |
Show MRIP1AN AND ROOT LOCK HORNS IN DEBATE OVER CONTROL Of RAILROADS there ia to be a change of attitude which soon is to be felt. The people axe coming to believe in Americanism and that means fair play." Secretary Boot accepted Mr. Harriman Harri-man challenge promptly, and prefaced pre-faced hia prepared tpeech "by saying: "Before I begin my talk on the subject sub-ject which has teen assigned to me, I desire to make a few remarks in answer an-swer to Mr. Harriman. "Mr. Harriman, I believe, in his speech tonight, would have us give more power to the railroads. "The experience I gained from a knowledge of the railroad business in the State of Missouri at a time when the railroads were competing for business busi-ness led me to believe that the just means of regulating traffic and railway affairs is through the railways themselves. them-selves. I believe that it is just to say that a 'wise law would be one that would force the railroads to combine in keeping the law. "I repeat ' that the best regulation ran be brought about by the railroads themselves, if they will only do it. "Their power," Mr. Harriman, would be supplemented by Government con- KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 20. The most interesting feature of the Commercial Com-mercial club banquet last night had not been announced beforehand, it being Edward H. Harriman 's criticism of Government regulation of railroads and Secretary of State Boot's vigorous reply. re-ply. Mr. Harriman in his address said: "I saw in the papers that President Hill of the Great Northern, in an address ad-dress before the commercial -bodies of Chicago, said that the country needs 100,000 miles of railway. I feel sure Mr. - Hill was misquoted. Two men now here, who heard his speech, confirm con-firm me in that belief. As they understood under-stood it, and as he probably said, the railroads need sidings, terminals and double tracks equal to 100,000 miles of new-railway. - "In his speech in Harrisburg recently. re-cently. President Boosevelt said that the. executive and legislative departments depart-ments of the Government should be given additional power to deal with public organizations. , y t "If we are going to continue to prosper,- the power which .President Beosevelt desires sdded to the Government, Govern-ment, I hope, will, be added to the other organizations. I hope that some of it will come our way. "It Is Impossible for a railway company com-pany or other large organization to carry on Us business properly if the people are constantly criticising and suspecting. In the. Union Pacific company com-pany no one man says what the company com-pany will or will not do. I am untiring untir-ing only because X must be on hand to hear conferences and try , to . bring a body of men to one conclusion." "It is not easy if you always have to turn to the legal department and find whether you may or may not." Here Mr. Harriman paused and turned to Secretary Boot, who sat two seats rearward. "It is often important to a citv or a country whether we do certain things, whether we develop a territory,'' terri-tory,'' Mr. Harriman continued, "or leave it dormantv "Often we cannot give development a start because of the action of certain people for political prestige. I believe trol, such that would prevent them from doing wrong. . "It is doubtless the case that a railroad, rail-road, by special compensation or special rates, can help to build up a bigger and better business. Nevertheless, the science of government always gives a chance. The privilege of the railroads in discriminating, in the matter of special rates and compensations la too ten atiused aswe have seen., . . "It 4fy the common tendency ef railroads rail-roads to give advantage to the wealthy nipper against. the weaker or smaller one. . " It . is that tendency . so often dis-played--a tendency to crush the weak. For this. reason I say. that it ia, neces-sarv, neces-sarv, it is essential to freedom and. independence, in-dependence, that the railroads, should be held under control to prevent discrimination. dis-crimination. 'The slight advantage that the railroads would - gain by more power the power that Mr. Harriman asks for would, be so greatly offset by the evil that such a proposition would not be considered a moment." |
