The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-02-25
FREIGHT DETERMINATIONS.

Il viii be remembered how bitterly some
members of the late Oregon legislature at
tackled Senate Bill No. 81, proposing to re-
strict discrimination by common carriers !;
and it will also be remembered that NO ar
guments were adduced to show why such
restrictions should not be imposed. and the
only reason assigned was " there is no oc-
casion for the passage of such law" In
the ol Ter States the same difficulty is pre-
venting action. Members of the legislature
cannot see any cause for sction the method
and arguments used to prevent legislation
are doubtless the same.
Governor Cornell, of New York, in his
annual message to the Legislature, condemns
the unjust discrimination, and fayorite-
ism in the conduct of railroad business, and
declares stability and uniformity OF freight
tariffs to be necessary for the safe conduct
of business" He sums up his views OF
needed railroad legislation in the statement
that "for like service all patrons should be
placed on an equal footing, and, as far as
practicable, general publicity should be CIV
en- to freight tariffs. This 10 Reithsr very
novel nor very radical suggestion Of re-
form, but it shows that the Governor is
fairly impressel with the most practical OF
the issues between the railroads and the
people.
Governor Hoyt, of Pennsylvania, in speak
ing of this point in his message, says, "the
principle Is SO obviously just and right as to
preclude question or debate" A legislative
COMMITTEES of the State of Pennsylvania,
known az the Hepburn committee, present
ed an anti-discrimination bill which pro.
vided that "all individuals, associations
and corporations shall have equal right to
have person and property transported over
railroads aud canals, and no undue or un-
reasonable determinations shall be made in
charges for, or in facilities for, transporta-
tion Of freight or passengers within the state
or coming from or going to any other state,
and it distinctly declared that charges to
any station shall not be greater than for
similar services to more distant stati IN in
the same direction, and that there shall be
no discrimination between transportation
companies and individuals, or in favor of
either by abatement, drawback or other.
wise, and no preferences in furnishing cars
or motive power" This bill, however,
failed to become a law, doubtless for the
same. reason that Senate bill No. 81 failed
in the Oregon legislature.
Il may seem q little strange that meas.
ure $50 obviously just aud right" should
fail, but legislative body which railroads
help to elect and compete with the people
side of the people. Our solons thought that
the time had not arrived when such leglsla-
tien was needed, but in New York and
Pennsylyania thsy have found that the time
has passed when such legislation can be en-
acted, although SO f" obviously just and
right. salem Statesman
Much to the same point is the fol-
lowing from the N. Y. Times of De-
cember 6, 1880:
There is forming ON the face of the ter.
ritory comprised within the United States a
great confederacy of railroads, whose ulti-
mate power it is not easy to forecast. How
ever great the separate systems may be, and
however far they may be rivals in the busi-
ness Of through transportation, they will
have certain interests in common. They
viii have common interest in resisting
Government control, in obtaining and main.
tanning laws favorable to their purposes,
and in strengthening and guarding their
power over the business of the country. BY
eompacts among themselves they may law
what tribute they will upon the commerce
and Industries of the people. They will
xest like one gigantic despotism of iron upon
the face Of this land, and regulate th de-
velopment of industrial interest direct the
all the energies of the people which they
may be .powerless to resist. The business
of the country is absolutely dependent on
the agencies of transportation, and any
power that holds these in its grasp will have
our national interests at its mercy"
Jay Gould controls one ninth in
mileage of all the railroads in the U.
s. Vanderbilt manages a corps of
employees greater in number than
the rank and file of our standing ar.
my. These financial giants are able
10 jointly effect consolidation of the
nations telegraphic machinery, for
the purpose of forcing the people to
choose between. two evils, either the
purchase of and control by, the Gov
ernment, or the increase of rates i'm
posed by monopoly. The mind is
then furnished an opportunity for se-
rious reflection. Il shows how GER
tainly and rapidly the methods OF
capital tend toward Capitalization,
.
and the past leaves noroom to ques-
ton the political disaster that must
follow under our Government, and
too often unprincipled political man.
agement. The telegraph would be
used to perpetuate the dominant par
~. With public enthusiasm for
cheap telegraph communication, for
private and commercial reasons, the
real danger may be overlooked or
ignored by the masses, but the elect
i've franchise loses half its force the
day the purchase is consumated. In
less than Fifty years the railroad sys-
lem of the country viii be handled
by dozen men, and that dozen, gov
erned by the law of "common inter.
sst I" will lend their mighty influence
10 the party in power. Business sa-
gacity would allow no other course
bhe established party would owe the
safety of les position to the railroads,
md the railroads would owe the safe
y Of their prosperity and immunity
from popular but harassing measures
10 the obliging party holding the
reins of government. General and
State legislation has familiarized the
average citizen with the uselessness