The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-01-29

full protection to the public, 1t Is argued by
the committee That they may be modified by
subsequent Legislation. The principle fea
lures Of the Reagan bill are summarized AZ
follows
Sectona md provide thnt freight shall moi
i bh enrFied eheAuar torono ehipper than another
| mudor likn circumstances. faction prohibits
eombii ntion Or uopiing Of freiRhts. Aoeien T.
/ that mora shHll not be charged Tor transporting
/ for u shorter than for u longer distance. and
section 8. TINT seheiuea of rafoa sball he rUe-
/ IIrly noeed nj ouch attn Ion. Tho othor esction
almplv provide for carrying those provisions
/ Into effect.
Whllo commanding the provisions en-
! braced In tho first Two sectnngas calculated
/ to commend them 10 both railroads and chip
peta who do not seek advantages over their
! follows, the committee Expresses the opinion
] Tint they do moi 20 far enough, for II shipper
Hendng nino eaf loads y freight might ho
compelled To pay double tho rate charged u
i shipper OF ten ear londa. because tho services
wcro not like, although cuntemporanoous, !,
II also thinks That tho rights of small ship
pcrs are not adequately protected. Tho third
section prohibiting pooling OF combination.
| n regarded by tho committee MS one Of tho
most important Of the bill, as il teaches the
most vital principle underlying the relations
of Iailronds to tho public, whether these
modern highways shall bo allowed 10 charge
the public ratea for transportation which VIII
afford moro than u fair return, say 10 per
cent nuen the actual capital originally paid.
In providing these facilities" In thtB con
neetion IL Is stated that The railroad law
Of Now York, and n number Of other State4,
was evidently framed with tho ldea OF Il cer-
tnin phrtnershp or community Of interest in
thcso modern highways. the State furnishing
tho franchises while tho companies construct
Ell and operated tho roads, for which they
were permittt'd To eharge certain tolls for
transportation. In this law. however, 1t was
expressly etIpulated that whom these chafgeg
amounted To n sum exceeding 10 per cent
upon the actual cost of the roads, detucting
operating expenses. that the Legislature
might then reduee tho tolls or charges. so
that they would not yield more than this
ate-thuB virtually saying that the public
must share in the benefits. The spirit of this
law. 1t is claimed has been grossly evad-
ed by establishing fictitious basis
OF cost, by cxtekstpns of roads and
bettrrment paid out Of Surplus earn
inRs, and In barcraeed "stoclS- watering
through which Il nominal cost several times
as much MS the actual was established aII Of
which have been used to evade the manifest
intention Of the law and to benefit special
interest Mt The expense of all other interests. |
Tho latest indications from Washington are,
however. TINT the Reagan biz will not be re
ported from the House Commerce Commlttee |
in the form In which IL was originally intro |
duced. 1t Is intimated Tint the arguments or |
the ratroad attorneys have had great effect |
upon the committee, and that Mr. Reagan Ia |
now In Il small minority. Mr.. Charles Fran
els Albums, Jr., who was In Washington a |
short tim0ago, Is reported te have informed |
some members OF the committee that, In his |
opinion, the Reagan bill would not accom- !
plish the purpose OF It's mover, and that any /
bill to be successful aught To contain tho fea- /
ture OF u railroad commission, substantially /
as proposed by the bill OF Congressman Rice I
OF massachusetts,.
kices idea is that statutes regulating rail-
way traffic are impractcabe, conditions
being SO different In different localities, and
chat whatever system OF regulation Is adopted
It must have II degree OF elasticity in order
that it mny beadapted to different and vary
ing circumstances. Tho railroads havo not
thus far approached the question In such
spirit Us might have been desired When
regulation by separate States has been pro-
posed they have alleged that 1t Is u question
or national legislation, while ono Of their
strongest arguments against the Reagan and
,ther congressional bills has been that the
'emedy should be obtained through State
eGtslation. The diverse opinions entertained
'elatiye To the Reagan bill will, We believe be
ipt to Incline the general public to tho view
aiken by the New York comnlttee, that 1t
may do very we'll for a beginning" and that
whatever faults IL may contain can be readily
modified by subsequent legislation. As lnti-
mated In an article published In the DEMO
'lsAT q day or two ago the consolidation OF
his great interest Is going on 50 rapidly that
he principle OF competition Is largely elimi-
ated from the transportation business, and
would seem as II some protection OF the
'ublie Interest by legislation has become an
Imperative necessity.
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