Return of the Railroads to Private Ownership (Volume 1) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1919. Excerpt: ... cerning and recalcitrant Member said, an extract from his speech is inserted as follows: To-day the lumbermen, vegetable men, tobacco men. fruit men, and farmers generally in the district I represent are oppressed and injured by extortionate railway rates and charges. And this House of Representatives, Democrats and Republicans, has not passed an adequate law to protect the interests of the people who sent me here, and I will not cast a vote to raise either my own salary or the salary of members of this House collectively when this House has declined to pass a fair, just, and adequate statute that will protect the interests of which I speak. Mr. Speaker, some of the railways in my district are capitalized at two, three, and four times their values. Every article shipped out of my county, every article shipped out of my district, every article shipped into my county, every article shipped into my district is unjustly taxed by the gross, fraudulent device of over-capitalization of the railroads. Whether $7,500 per annum be an adequate compensation for Members or not, I place one serious objection to it upon the ground that this House, without regard to party, did not, when it had an opportunity to do so, pass a fair, just and adequate law that will protect the people whom I have the honor hire to represent. So the Hepburn rate bill came from the committee an intensely prorailroad measure, and as such was rushed through the House without amendment and practically without debate, both sides consenting. That it was a bill of that character can be clearly shown. Now, when the bill had reached the Senate, the unmuzzled few, inside and outside Congress, who were conversant with its provisions and their effect in operation, began to talk to the few Senators who da...