Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-08-27
Written for IKE State Journal
Shall the State Control the Railroads.

Most of the European nations and
several of our States have tried legis-
lation in various forms to regulate
freights and fres on railroads, inva-
riabIy without benefit to any parties
except the legal profession. The
British Pertinent, whose authority
is supreme, has experimental on the
subject in almost every conceivable
shape. The Railroad Commission
ers of Massachusetts, commenting up
on it, say
L "Nowhere has the system of special lagisla-
ton been more persistently followed, and
nothing could have been more complete than
its failure. As the result of forty years. ex-
perience, reviewed in the recent elaborate re-
| port of the joint committee on amalgamatlon
OF railroads, Ii may be said that the English
legislation has neither accomplished anything
| il sought TO bring about, nor prevented any
| thing it sought to binder. The Parliamentary
committee of 1872, after reviewing the vari-
Gus modes of railway regulation that have
been tried in Great Britain, state their con-
illusions, drawn from forty yeare' experience,
as follows: Equal milage rates they pro-
nounce impractcable; rates fixed IN relation
| to loss and profit on capital they dismiss, be-
cause attended with lnsuperable difficulties;
| periodical revisons of rates ~ declared mex
| pedient and impracticable; absolute limitation
of dividends is pronounced impossible and
undesirable and finally they come to the con-
clusion that the government must own the
railroads, if it would successfully control
| them.
The Railway Commissioners OF
| Massachusetts, after thorough in
vestigation of the subject in foreign
countries, and the various attempts
at regulation in the United States,
pronounce legislative control OF rates
and fare impracticable, and recon-
mend the control and regulation,
the whole through the ownership OF
part.
The experience of forty years has
demonstrated that no government,
however arbitrary, has been able to
control the private capital of It's citi-
zens. Will Wisconsin persist in driv-
ing capital from the State by further
attempts to control business IN
which she has not dollar invested ?
A large part Of Wisconsin is yet an
developed. Some thousands Of miles
Ct railroads are yet wanted. Would
it not be wise to encourage its con-
struclion, instead of retarding 1t
Will the State come to the conclu-
SIGN to control the whole by owning
a part? Shoull the State construct
one or more railroads from east to
west and from north TO south, to be
managed and run by officers appoint
ed tor the purpose, thereby creating
competition that wouli eff9ctually
hold in check all tho other roads in
the State Or shall the State rur-
chase portion Of the capital stock
of all or part of the roads, and pro-
vide for corresponding voice In the
direction of each company, thereby
providing against exhorbitant rates
and unjust determinations, and con-
trolling each company just as far as
it's share of capital would entitle it to
exercise control? Accordingito busi-
ness rules no party can exercise con-
GEOl W u II OdGCL ga COGV Juan ii pre-
portion to his capital invested.
The claim that the State is entitled
to control the railroads on account OF
| concessions granted by their charters,
and can alter and amend charters
without the consent of the parties in
interest, is uasound in theory and
ruinous in practice. If the Legisla-
ture can alter a charter at VIII, with.
out consent of the parties interested
and compel said parties to accept the
same, why cannot the Legislature al
50 organize into new corporation
any parties it may select, without
their consen., and compel them to
accept and operate under the same
Why may it not incorporate hun
dred Of the most wealthy men in the
state into railroad company and
compel them to construct and oper.
ate road regardless of profits
| And should the communists doctrine
become more popular, and Jewelers.
get control of the legislature, why
may it not charter a Fourier Society
with extraordinary powers, in every
county and town in the state
| JAMES CAMPBELL.