Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-03-02
WHAT To DO WITH THE RAIL.
ROADS.

persons or places. FOOIlnS, reOateS,
charging more proportionally for a
shorter distance than a longer. are sew
orally made misdemeanors and pun
ishable by fine.
1t is unnecessary for usto rehearse the
arguments for and against a measure of
this character, as they are very familiar
in our State, having undergone q very
exhaustive discussion in our legislature
in the past two or three years. For, al
though We have not had the REAGAN
bill itself, discussed, the same principles
as well as the same difficulties are in
vOlved, and the same bitter opposition
comes from the railroad companies to
legislation of this character.
1t seems on its face to be only a lust
and reasonable requirement that the
provision of law which is embodied in
the REAGAN bill and was also contained
in the WILSON bill, offered in the legis-
ture, should be enforced against the rail-
road companies, viz: that they should
not charge more for 4 shorter distance
than u longer one.
Nevertheless that is the very feature
to which railroad companies make the
most determined opposition. And it
will be remembered that durin the con
trOversy over the JOHNSON bill in the
Legislature some years ago, when q
very large majority of the body were in
tent upon passing some measure of this
kind, and held tenaciously to the prin-
ciple in question, that the reasons aud
arguments presented by Vice President
KEYsER, why it should not become n
law, were 50 eogently and c~Onvincingly
put by him, that the minds of Legislators
were convinced even against their will,
that it would not do. There were many
localities and many special articles .of
freight along the line of the road in this
State, that would have been disastrOusly
affected by a general provision of this
character.
1t would be easier, indeed, and less
Onerous to special localities, to enact a
law fixing specific maximum rates per
mile, than to enact the general prOvi-
sion that the rate should not be greater
for a shorter than a longer distance. 1t
would be easier, for example, to fix u
maximum ratethat should be graduated
for sections of ten miles up to one hun
dred, which should apply to all ordinary
merchandise, in small lots, and not car
ried under contract extending over a
specified period of time; that is, such
SHIPMENTS as are made in what might
be termed 'jOb lots" requiring but a
singiet rlp, a single car, and not included
In q continuous contract; and that such
freight IS coal, cattle and othercommo-
dities Of like character which are car
ried in large quantities under a con-
tinuous contract extending over a speci-
fled period of time, might be excluded
from the schedule offixed rates and be
allowed to be done under such special
rates as agreed upon between the ship
per md the company, with such general
restrictions as to the rates as might be
fair and yet not damaging to the COM
pany or the shipper.
For, it is a matter to BE- observed in
this connection, that the great COM
plants of extortion by the railroads,
come principally from small shippers
who ship an occasional box of goods, or
a small,lOt Of merchandise at schedule
rates fixed by the road, or not fixed as
the a may be; and if the rates regu-
lating these small shipments were fixed,
the companies and the larger shippers
might be left to make their special con-
tracts without much reason for COM
plant, as the companies are obliged to
take these large contracts at low rates
in order to encourage the shipments and
induce shi ppers to continue them.
But we refer to this view of the ques-
ton not by way of furnishing q solution
of the difficulties, so much asto illustrate
the objections to the principle which is
involved in the REAGAN bill and:other
measures of like character.
1t is worth while to reflect that, al
though the principle in question-that
of the REAGAN bill-has been offered
and discussed in nearly every legislature
in the United States, no State ever adj
opted Dr. sought to put it in practical
operation.
1t is also a matter worthy of note,
that the only plan for regulating the
traffic of railroads which has yet been
adopted in this country and in Europe,
is that which proceeds through commits
siOlers. Several of the States have had
the commission plan in operation for
some time, and others are gradually
falling in with it. 1t has also been in
operation in England for many years
Mr.. CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, Jr.,
who has attained some reputation in
connection with railroad legislation, and
who, although not a member of Con-
gress Ut this time, has been called before
the committee which has this subject in
charge, has drafted a bill for the eonsid-
Grafton of the committee and Congress,
which proceeds upon the plan of a ma
tional commission.
1t proposes to Storm asoand opinion"
on the railroad question through the
medium Of competent tribunal. And
it provides for the appointment of three
commissioners who should investigate
all charges Of discrimination and irregu-
larities in railroad traffic and report 20