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The Commoner.
iVOLUME 5, NUMBER 17
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GOVERNOR LA FOLLETTE of Wisconsin has
affixed his signature to one of the most
interesting bills ever passed by a legislature. The
measure is known as the "anti-graft bill" and it is
now a lav. By its terms, employes are prohibited
from requesting or accepting any gratuity and all
persons are prohibited from giving or offering any
gift or tip whatever to any agents, servants or
employes. The Madison correspondent for the
Chicago Record-Herald says: "While the bill was
originally aimed at the practice of paying com
missions to employes ot large blotch or corpora
tions whoso in fl nonce went a great way in the
purchase of goods, It also is contended that it
applies to the practice of 'tipping.' A violation
of the law is made a misdemeanor, punishable
by a fine of not less than $10 nor more than $500,
or a fine and Imprisonment for a year."
COPIES of Wisconsin's "anti-graft bill" are in
great demand. Some express the opinion
that the law will not stand the constitutional test,
claiming that it Invades the domain of personal
rights. The measure seems to bo popular with
business men, particularly those at the head of
large concerns. They expect that this law will
save them many thousands of dollars. The Record-Herald
correspondent says: 'Waiters and por
ters and bootblacks and barbers are in a flno
stow lest tho law shall stop them from accepting
tho nickels and dimes proffcrod by tho generous
public. Thoy fail to understand how it can bo
anybody's business, much less that of tho state,
whether thoy gather in a few dollars a week from
pooplo who want to give their money away. But
tho law is plain enough. It provides that who
ovor corruptly gives, offers or promises to an
agent, employe or servant any gift or gratuity
with intent to influonco his action in relationyW
ills employer's business or any jugeut. 'or em
ploye who requests or accepts such gift or gratu
ity is guilty of a violaiJoh of the law. The law
prohibits tho gjj'.'nig of commissions to employes
who nmko purchases, no matter whether In the
'xOvm of a discount or a bonus. It goes further
and provides that no person shall bo excused from
testifying or producing booics and contracts."
PAUL MORTON, secretary of tho navy, de
livered a speech at Washington, May 3, and
many people are curious to know whether the sec
retary speaks in any degree for the administra
tion. Mr. Morton's address created something of
a sensation. He said: "Railroad freight rates in
the United States are low. No other country has
any such cheap carriage of goods. There are few
complaints of rates in this country because they
are too high. Complaints of extortionate rates
are tho exception, not tho rule. Rates are lower
in tho United States than anywhere else In the
"world. They probably aggregate 40 per cent
lowor. This alone is something to be proud of,
but, coupled with the fact that, with the lowest
rates in existence, tho wages paid by the Ameri
can railroads to their employes approximate at
least 50 per cent more than the wages paid the
railroad men of other countries, and considered,
further, with tho 'fact that tho American railroads
prohably pay higher prices for materials than
' any other railroads in the world, only serves to
emphasize the triumph in transportation which
has been achieved in America. It fias been my
observation that complaints of unreasonable rates
to railroad men always receive prompt and sat
isfactory attention. While, In a sense, railroad
transportation is a natural monopoly, in a broad
er senso it is all competitive. Market competition
prevails everywhere and is always the controlling
force in rate making."
REFERRING to Mr. Morton's speech, tho
Washington correspondent for the Chicago
Tribune says: "In making this declaration Sec
retary Morton places himself in an awkward atti
tude with respect to tho president, but upon the
Bame grounds as that occupied by every railroad
man who has appeared before the senate com
mittee on interstate commerce. In his last annual
message President Roosevelt inserted a paragraph
devoted in part to measures which should bo
adopted to prevent the Imposition of unreasonable
rates by tho railroads, going so far as to recom
mend a plan whereby a remedy could be applied.
The whole burden of the president's policy on the
railroad rate question has been based upon the
necessity of correcting the evils from which the
entire country has been suffering. Mr. Morton's
position Is, both from what he said and the infer
ences drawn by the members of the senate inter
state commerce committee and the railroad men,
that there is no necessity for legislation for the
reason that tho railroads themselves will look
after tho interests of the public. It is such a re
markable position for a member of the presi
dent's cabinet to assume, especially in view of the
determined course the administration has pur
sued to secure legislation for the correction of
the railroad rate evils that reports of all kinds are
in circulation tonight as to the reasons which
prompted tho secretary of the navy to dwell upon
the rate question at the opening of the American
railway appliance exhibit."
IN HIS ANNUAL MESSAGE in December, Presi
dent Roosevelt, referring to the same sub
ject dealt with by his secretary of the navy, said:
"For some time after the enactment of the act to
regulate commerce it remained a mooted question
whether that act conferred upon the Interstate
commerce commission the power, after it had
found tho challeged rate to be unreasonable, to
declare what thereafter should prima facie be a
reasonable maximum rate for the transportation
in dispute. The supremo court .finally resolved
the question in the negative, so that as the law
now stands the commission simply possesses the
bare power to denounce a particular rate as un
reasonable. While I am of the opinion at present
it would bo undesirable, if it were not impracti
cable, finally to clothe the commission with gen-
a fair security to shippers the cbmmisiiUL should
be vested with power where a given rate has been
challenged, and after a full hearing found to be
unreasonable, to decide, subject to judicial review,
what shall be a reasonable rate to take Its place,
the ruling of the commission to take effect imme
doately and to obtain unless and until reversed
by a court of review."
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F RIENDS of Mr. Morton Insist that the presi
dent has not changed his views and that
Secretary Mort-ln does not represent the Roose
velt sentiments. Public men In Washington were
very generally amazed at the blunt declarations
made by the secretary of the navy. But they were
astounded when In the evening of the same day,
the secretary made another address at a banquet.
To many it seemed as though Mr. Morton was
anxious to emphasize not only his own position
-but to put himself in the attitude of speaking
for the president In his address at the banquet,
Secretary Morton paid a high personal compli
ment to President Roosevelt and added: "It will
not bo amiss on this occasion, before this assem
blage, for me to say something of the attitude
of the president on the railroad question. He
wants nothing ,but that which is right, and he is
just as anxious that no injustice shall be done
to the railroads as he is that justice shall be
done to the public. Unfortunately there have
been abuses in the transportation business For
tunately they are growing less every ryear. It is
gratifying to those who know that today there is
less discrimination, fewer rebates, and more equal
ity in freight rates than ever before in the his
tory of the country. But, through one device or
another, there still remain here and there pre
ferential rates which favor certain large shippers
and which bear down unjustly on others. This k
the condition of affairs that the president is doing
his best to remove. The private side track ar
rangements, by which unfairness in rates have
been enjoyed by some of the big industries of the
country, the earning of more than a fair return
on private car investments, the payment of com
missions of various sorts or rebates or prS
ential rates in any fQrm ought to be entirely dis
continued. I am sure there is not a railroad ma"
hero who does not heartily approve of "Z ??
laration My own opinion is That if all Scions
discriminations can be abolished the m iJ
rates will adjust Itself. I consider it a grett pwf
of good fortune for every man women n,i PL
in this country that, in thTseTtlSnen? nf?i d
matter, the rights of prope'rty?
rights of the people, are not to be overlooked by
the president All he wants in railroad legislation
is that which is fair and that which will endure."
THE senate committee is entertaining many
railroad officials these days. Robert Mather
of the Rock Island appeared before the committee
and stated that no changes were necessary in
existing law other than the restriction of the
scope and power of the interstate commerce com
mission. Mr. Mather said that that commission
had too many duties and not sufficient time to
perform its legitimate functions. James J. Hill,
president of the Great Northern, said that rates
must vary with, conditions. He warned the com
mittee to be careful in dealing with the freight
rate question. He said that if the people would
only give the railroads "fair treatment," within
twenty years freight rates would come down, to
half a cent a ton per mile. Replying to a question
by Senator Clapp as to the effect of the Panama
canal on the railroads Mr. Hill said that for
'Atlantic and gulf ports and for 150 miles inland
the canal would be of some advantage. "But," he
added, "for all interior points we will meet any
rate made by the canal route." Questioned by
Senator Clapp Mr. Hill declared that every rail
way officer should be disqualified from engaging
in the production of traffic on a line where he is
on the payroll, because of the temptation to
favor the company in which he was interested.
ALDERMAN RUXTON of Chicago has made a
large bid for high fame. Mr. Ruxton has
introduced in the city council an ordinance de
scribed as "an act to prevent unjust discrimina
tion by landlords against parents." In Mr. Rux
ton's measure, it is declared that many' landlords
refused to rent flats to families in which there
' wm. children or Jnfants, "thereby dlscouraigng
and militating against' fhv prohahlfe 'increase of
population in Chicago, contrary to the injunction,
imposed upon our first parents upon their expul
sion from the garden of Eden to multiply and re
plenish the earth and against the policy and pur
pose of our national administration." The ordi
nance provides that any landlord who shall refuse
to rent any house or flat to families in which
there are children shall be subject to a fine of not
less than $5 nor more than $100. If the landlord
shall establish the fact that the "children in any
such family are of a boisterous disposition and
likely to disturb the peace or dignity of such
house or flat it shall constitute a good defense."
The ordinance was referred to the committee on
judiciary.
ALREADY trouble is developed in the new
canal commission. The Washington corre
spondent for the Chicago Tribune says: "Secre
tary Taft has averted a threatened split in tho
Panama commission and prevented the resigna
tion of four members of that body. He has dis
approved the recommendation of the executive
committee, consisting of Chairman Shonts, Gover
nor Magoon and Chief Engineer Wallace, which
contemplated the subordination of Messrs. Endi
cott, Hains, Harrod and Ernst to them, and has
outlined a plan to be followed in the construction
of the canal. A meeting of the commission will
be held within the next few days, when Mr. Taft'e
decision will receive formal ratification. It is
doubtful if the country really appreciates the se
riousness of the dispute which developed in the
new isthmian canal commission, and it left after
effects which may have a bearing upon the work
the commission will perform. It is not going too
far to say if Secretary Taft had supported the
recommendation of Messrs. Shonts, Magoon and
Wallace, he would have received instantly the
resignations of a majority of the commissioners.
The latter had-decided that to continue to serve
under the conditions which the executive com
mittee sought to prescribe would be not only hu
miliating but a reflection upon the entire engi
neering fraternity of the United States."
TOHN H. HULL, manager of the Cornplanter
Oil Co. of Minnesota, appeared recently be
fore the state railway and warehouse commis
sion. Mr. Hull said: "The Standard Oil will not
lot any of us do business if they can help It.
Wherever the independent company sell a car
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