Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-12
THE REPORT OF THE RAILROAD COM
MIssIoNERS

Governor Perkins. 1t is intended to ac-
company series of tables showing the
reductions on freight rates which the Com
missioners have determined upon, but the
tables themselves have not yet been COM
pleted, though the reductions were yester-
day formally adopted by the Commission
ers, and will 60 into effect on the LIST OF
June. The report is very clearly written
statement of the difficulties encountered
by the Commissioners in their labors, and
of the conclusions which were forced upon
them by dispassionate study of the
transportation question. They discovered
before they had been at work long that it
was impossible to regulate freights and
fares in an arbitrary and sweeping way
without producing far greater evils than
any heretofore alleged to exist. They
found also that to regulate transportation
charges on any other principles than those
which were already in operation would
necessitate an entire reorganization of the
whole business, and would demand a
knowledge and a capacity such IS that
business has never developed yet in any
country, notwithstanding its employment
of the most acute intelligences. There
were but two methods of procedure open
to them. They might pander to the I'M
reasoning demand fer sweeping reduc
ton of charges, with the certainty that in
SO doing they must injure the public quite
as much as the railroads. Or they might
follow out the principles already estab-
lished, and endeavor, through them, to
reach results which would benefit the pub
lie without injuring the corporations.
Messrs. Cone and Beerstecher have chosen
the second of these courses. and they have
made wise and just choice.
They point out, in vindication of their
decision, that no Commission ap-
pointed for similar purposes has ever yet
been able to arrive at any other general
conclusion that every attempt to deal
violently with the problem, and to adjust
it by sheer force, has failed disastrously ;
that every such failure has involved
serious injury to the public interests and
that the unavoidable deduction from all
existing experience in this direction is,
that equitable and reasonable methods are
the only ones which can produce benef.
cial results. The Commissioners dwell
upon the Importance of understanding
the principle of the maximum in trans
portation. They quote the maxim that
high maximum means low minimum
| they show that this is the secret of sue
cessful transportation that, in fact, it is
only possible to provide for the carriage
Of low-priced staples at minimum rates,
by fixing the rates ON high class merchan-
disc correspondingly high. A just appre-
hension of this truth would do more to
dissipate the popular errors regarding
railroad charges than perhaps anything
else, for it would convince the public that
the interest of the majority is concerned
| vitality in the maintenance OF compare
lively high maximum rates.
The demand for sweeping reductions in
wolves the lowering of the maximum, and
the consequent raising of the minimum.
That is to say, that while freight rates on
high priced goods, which do not feel these
rates, are reduced, to the benefit only of a
few middlemen, the rates on staples, which
cannot be carried at all unless they have
very low rates, are raised to the point OF
prohibition. 1t follows from these consd-
erations that any sweeping reduction would
cut off large element of staple produce
from the market. by making it impossible
to carry it at profit and as the bulk OF
the freight transported consists of these low
priced staples, it is clear that such policy
would produce the most ruinous injury to
the producers. It is therefore true, as the
Commissioners say, that such line of
reductions cannot be introduced without
doing at least as much harm to the shipper
as to the transportation agent, and it is
| clear that there remains no sane course but
that which has been adopted by the major.
ity of the Board.
The Commissioners have been emba-.
raised throughout by the extreme difficulty
CT reaching conclusions which should be
at once satisfactory to the public and fair
to the railroads. They have in fact found
it necessary at last to set before themselves
standard of equity, and to look to that
alone, fer as they say, IS If we treat the
railroads harshly and arbitrarily, we are
denounced as communists and confis.
Gators. If we do not treat them harshly,
"we are accused of having sold out to them.
:" As this has been the experience Of every
" Railroad Commission that has been organ.
lied, however, perhaps we ought not to
"be surprised at it." Under the circum.
stances they have taken the only course by
which they can hope for results which will
defy censure and challenge criticism, for
the final test of every measure must be,
not g Is it popular = but g Is it right -
and if they can prove that their proceed.
ings have been equitable they may well
afford to endure the calumny which dema-
gogues are sure to employ against all who
refuse to pander to their dishonest and
outrageous demands and propositions.
1t may be noted that the Commissioners
have not found the arbitrary disposal oil
the property of others an agreeable OF
easy pursuit, nor have they been fortified
by the sophisms invented to excuse these
aggressions upon private property. What
ever success they have obtained has
been won by recognition of the folly OF
arbitrary action, and of the necessity OF
pursuing the lines already laid down.
As fact however they are enabled to an
nounce very considerable reductions in
freight charges, and to hold out hope that
still farther changes may be found prac.
ticable at no distant date.
GENERAL sroNEMAk'S DEMAGoGIsM.
General Stoneman's extremely insolent