The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-04-15
RAILROAD REGULATION.

road track, costing a trihe over $3.50 900 600,
and representing a capital stock of $500, $780,.
OO4. These roads are owned by sixty differ.
ent companies or corporations and are manag-
ed by what may be safely assumed to be the
best business talent in the state, and some by
the best talent in the Union But over these
the State Of Illinois has in addition placed
three commissioners, one of whom is u farmer,
another sort of u lawyer" and the third n
sharp business man, but who is so far at log.
gerheads with his colleagues that he may be
regarded AZ nonentity IN fhe Board. None
of the three, however, 1t is notorious, was APP
pointed with any reference to his fitness for
so important position, but as a reward for
political services performed or IN expectancy,
and to execute law admitted to be sngularly
crude and undigested IN Its provisions.
Warning the question whether these two
men-a farmer and sort of lawyer"-sre
more competent to manage the vast interests
these sixty railroads involve than the two or
three hundred men, including the best talent
in the country whom their owners by virtue
of their charters have placed over them, let US
see on what principle the two men have un.
dertaken to manage this $500, 100000 worth of
property.
OF the sixty railroads IN the state we have
one but six miles In length, others H. 20, 40
and 60 miles, while others are but continue
tons of roads penetrating or crossing the state
| do IL,
thousands of miles in length Obviously there
is as much difference in the ways Of running
these various roads probably as there is in
running a tavern. One road, by reason of Its
length and the populousness, productveness
and business activity OF the region it traverses
can make money by carrying passengers and
freight at a tenth of the rates required to make
other roads pay. Have the railroad commits
sioners OF Illinois IN their management taken
this fact into account The law under which
they act gives them few plain, simple prin
clples for their guidance: they are to insist on
uniform rates." having regard to the peculiar
circumstances of each road, the kind and
quantity of freight and fares; ana they are to
preven, unjust discrimination and "extortion."
| What are unborn rates?" Obviously the
law means no such absurdlty as that every
road In the state, six miles or 700 miles In
length, or whether passing through a thinly
or thckly settled region, shall carry passen.
gers at not exceeding three cents mile and
freight at not exceeding 8 cts per ton per mile
The common sense meaning clearly is that
each railroad shall carry every man at the
same rate for the same distance under the same
circumstances; rs if Jones and Smith travel
from Ottawa to Chicago on the Rock Island
road, it snail be unlawful to demand $500 OF
Smith for fare when Jones is carried for So so.
But suppose Jones gets up an excursion of
300 persons, with which Smith IS IN no way
connected, is it then breach of uniformity to
carry Jones and his party for $3.50 each and
to charge Smith $250' What Is "exto1tion y
In the first case named, obviously Smith would
be the victim Of an extortion, but in the Sec
ond as obviously not. Again, suppose Jones
sends thousand carloads OF coal month a
certain distance over given road and Smith
sends but ten. If less per car is charged Jones
than Smith is that "extortionf"
In practice, our commissioners, to avoid the
injustice of compelling all the railroads IN the
state, whether rich or poor, long or short to
carry at the same uniform" rates. divided
them into five groups, fixing different set of
!, rates for each group But this was found 80
cumbersome that afterwards they reduced
them TO but two groups, or Glasses Space
will not permit us to go into details of the ope-
ration OF this plan. When it's stated, however,
, that of the so railroads in the state that made
!, reports in 1881 but fourteen declared dividends
while of the other 36 none were able 10 earn
more than to cover running expenses while
some fell short Of that, it would look as If the
division of all the roads into but two classes
. was rather broad.
, However, having made its classes, the board
proceeded to establish its "unIform" rates
But the first attempt was 80 wild and crazy
that the railroads generally throughout the
, state ignored the schedule, relying on the
fact that under the law the rates were to be re.
: garded only as prima ytacie uniform" &c,
: and trusting to their ability to prove in the
courts that the rates actually charged were not
/ un-uniform or extortionate, d, AVOID the penal.
J ties for violating the law
Then the board met and got up second
, schedule, reducing the rates of the former
from 30 to 40 per cent This the roads con.
lt tfF So ~