Show STABILITY BASED UPON RATES the existing adjustment of rates between different localities and for different classes of traffic so writes samuel spencer is the result of industrial du and commercial contests be tween communities the competitive struggles not only between the railways but between numerous water lines and tho conditions of domestic and foreign markets the adjustment rests upon a basis so complicated that the disturbance of it at ono point must almost necessarily create disturbance tur bance at numerous others Is it possible then for anny single tribunal sitting in washington to decide upon the revision or readjustment of relative rates such wisdom and comprehension as not to create a hundred complaints in their efforts to remove one it has been claimed that rates have been largely raised during be past few years by changes of classification or by increase la the rates themselves while some specific cases 0 increased rates alleged to be unjust hae been cited in tho testimony now before congress hey arave not been numerous the chief of the claim has been the 1 of jess than four tenths of a mill per ton per mile on the average tonnage of the entire country from 1899 to 1903 as shown in a response by the interstate commerce commission to a resolution of the senate now on record as senate document the weakness and fallacy ot the arguments there present ed have been so thoroughly exposed before the senate committee that I 1 need say only a word to emphasize the in justice of asking for large and dangerous increase of power to the interstate commerce commission upon such a plea |