Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1880-01-07


ooyERNMENT CONTROL OF
RAILROADS.
The bugbear Ct GENERALIZATION 10 fast
losing force, when applied to the Govern
meut control Of railroads. The struggling
and frssme rtary snactments Of individual
ststes are found to be wholly inadequste
TO the curling Of the graspine tendencies
Of the prodigious railway systems in this
eouutry. many Of which extend through
half . dozen States and Territories The
tendency Of the Eastern systems Is to COM
bine and consolidate. 80 Is to unite all OF
the great lines Of the country under the
general management Of . few corporations
II behooves the Government 10 take hold
With . frm hand, and efectually check
this growing evil. States rights and the
ebost Of Capitalization must be put under
foot. and the rights Of the people protected
against unjust charges and discrimina-
lions. II il one Of the encouraging signs
of the time. that there is now pending in
Congress no less than three bills having in
view this evil. The first. and the one
that has gained for itself and autbor the
greatest nosoriety. Is the Reagan bill. Mr.
Reagan il . Democrat. halls from Texas,
and vas Postmaster General Of the o
defunct Confederscy. The second in i'm
portance il the bill recently introduced by
Senator Eaton. Of Connecticut. another
Bourbon Democrat We merely call at
tsntion 10 the attitude Of these "sfalwarf"
Democrats to shov the changed and chang
ing condition q public sentiment touching
this alI-important question
Senator Eason's bin aims to compel rail
road and steamboat companies to adopt all
such improvements and inventions as shall
upon trial prove to contribute TO the com-
fort and safety Of passengers 1t provides
also for the appointment Of = board
Of i've commissioners, with q yearly
salary Of ten thousand dollars each.
to determine what inventions come
within the definition and to enforce
their adoption. Mr.. Reagan's bill is found
ed on the constitutional authority Of Con-
gress to regulate commerce, and is neces-
sarily limited in its operation to those rail-
roads running ssfrom one State or Territory,
to or through one or more other States or
Territories Of the United States. and to or
from any foreign country" The object Of
the bill. in brief, Is to prevent discrimins-
ton in rates between either persons or
places. The pooling Of rates by two or
more companies, granting rebates and
drawbacks Of any sort, charging more pro-
~portionately for q shorter than = longer
distance. are severally made misdemeanors
and punishable by fine. The agency for
enforcing this bill is not specially desig-
mated so. should 1t be adopted, it would
probably impose upon United States Dis
trict Attorneys. in addition to their other
duties. the supervision Of railroad charges.
Hon. W. r. sspp, Republican member
Of the House from Iowa has introduced
another bill. now pending before the House
Committee on Commerce, which covers
substantially the same ground as Mr..
Reagan's. Its object b to prevent the
charging or receiving more than fair and
reasonable rates for tie transportation Of
freight or passengers. 1t provides for the
appointment Of . Boafd Of nine Railway
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES from each Judicial
circuit Of the United states-who shall
hold ofics for four years, and each have Q
salary Of $500 q year. Their duty Is to
the rates charged on all inter-
State railroads, and Ok . schedule Of rea-
sonabls maximum charges for all services,
which shall be binding on such corpora-
lions. Charging more than the schedule
is by this bill made punishable by a
dne Of not less than $500 nor more than
IS, ZOO for the FIRST offense, and for .
one the fine il fixed at not
than 5000 nor more than $40. 900.
d made the duty Of the District Az
to prosecute such cases in the
United States Circuit Court, under the
direction Of the Board Of Railroad Com
In addition to these penalties
the railroad company il liable to suit in
damages by the persons overcharged. The
Commissioner are further charged with
the duty Of collecting statistics. for which
they may exact returns from the companies.
These statistics the Commissioners must
report annually to Congress. with such
recommendations ~ their Investigations
may suggest.
The general interests Of the country are
deeply affected by the method and pol
icy pursued by railroad managers to per-
init Of the 1000 miles Of railroad operated
in this country being treated ~ merely the
private property Of the stockholders. Some
supervision there must be. Several States
have already treated the Office Of Railroad
Commissioner, and the provisions on that
subject in the new Constitution OF Califor-
mia show to what length some States will
go. State supervision, varying in extent
and rigidness. would naturally work with
great inequality on different portions Of an
line and beget more or less con-
fusion and uncertainty. National railway
supervision must Be inaugurated sooner or
later, and to ell appearance the time for it
has now arrived.
THE RUDLlC PULSE.
Comments OF the Press ON Live
Subjects.
4 MINING INTEREST.
From the Esmeralda Herald.
The mining interest ID 30 great that il
. press that shall, IN some meas |
ure at least, be worthy Of its greatness and
truly represent It. looking beyond the mar
row vail Of lncal or naraonal inAa.aa.