The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1882-08-10

they have come. 1t IL not the proprietor OF
these worshipful empires and their popula-
ton. 1t IL not the lord paramount of the es-
tate. 1t Is only the creature of the necess-
ties OF resolute and industrious people. 1t
was created to do their work and Is entitled
to q fair compensation for doing it and no
more. This is the rule which applies to all
classes of human employment. And so, in
no case is transportation master Of the peo-
pie served. nor proprietor Of the purposes
and results Of the service. Ii is but one of
three parties In interest when its EXTREMIST
claim is asserted. 1t cannot act by itself. No
one Of the three parties is ever absent when
transportation is involved. Whoever has
studied the economy OF commerce will read
lily cOmpre bend and assent to this fact. A
just and consequently reasonable distribu-
ton of the benefits of transportation between
the three parties interested is the only effect
i've remedy for the evils which too often at
tend it. No student of the philosophy which
enfolds and permeates this subject will hesi-
tate TO aeQuiesce in the correctness OF this
statement. 1t is but statement of the uni
versally recognized rule of dependency and
obligation, which Is the paramount law of
all weli-ordered society limited to Il particu-
lar case. Let us give a moments attention
to this proposition. The three parties inter-
ested in pablo transportation are producer,
first, then the transporter and consumer.
The absence OF either party destroys the
whole case, so far AS consumer is concerned.
Each being necessary to the Others there
should be an equitable adjustment Of results.
The producer should have 4 fair price for his
product; the transporter reasonable COM
pensation for his service; the consumer
just and living chance in his purchase. The
adjustment Of the entire transportation prob
lem when properly made must be made upon
this basis. Competition could be made Il
great evener between those three parties il
it could he had. We claim that competition
is better than law when il can be b ID free in
its forces and activities. But law is better
than injustice and will certainly be had. il so
much pooling and combining against the pro-
Queer does not disappear. Let us examine
this word pooling and see If we all have q
correct understanding of it. / shall not at
tempt to say that pooling is always an evil
1t may be put to good Uses and made produc
tive of good results. However. it is an Of
fensive term, always. when applied to trans
p0rtation. No one ever expects any good to
come from il. or from any practice which it
may be used to describe. have often Won
dercd why transpOrtcrs have not discovered,
borrowed or invented some happier ana less
offensive term. 1t smacks of gambling
whenever it is used the public think it means
a stake played for in game in which th9y
are always 1t disadvantage. And yet it
may be used To promote most desirable
ends. Indeed, il is susceptible of being
check upon the abuse of an element in the
problem of transportation that is regarded
with universal favor. mean competition.
Many suppose that this needs no check, that
the more We have of it the better. This is
not always true. Hence. while pooling is
not AN evil unmiXed with COED, competition
is not good unmixed with evil. And
though one is a term always eXecrated. and
the other phrase universally commended,
the exact nature of the principle involved in
each is not inyarable; so perfectly under
stood as to be clear 10 the general apprehen-
sion. If pooling be used to prevent hurtful
competition and maintain stability in reason
able rates. and does not go beyond this limit.
il then becomes n cOnseryatOr of public and
private good. If competition is resorted to
for the purpose OF destroying unprincipled
pooling or other like practice, it then to be
commended. Let Us follow this Il little fur
Their: when pooling is made means of es-
tablishiny an arbitrary and unreasonable
charge for II given service, it is bad and de-
serves to be summarily dealt with and de-
stroyed. IL then becomes an abuse beyond
justification. it at once destroys the equi-
librium between producer, transporter and
consumer. Whatever does this is wrong.
Each of these parties IN entitled to equal
protection. Whenever the transporter main
tains IN arbitrary and unreasonable high rate
by pooling. he rerpetrates an outrage upon
both the other parties. He would justly
complain of them il they should by law fix
an arbitrary an UNI reasonable low rate for his
services. But he has no more right to COM
plain than they. Their respective rights are
exactly equal. Thus it appears that produce
ton, transportation and consumption are the
three most forceful factors Of progress, pros
perity and civilization. When they go hand
in hand cOntentment accompanies them.
When they become severed, unrest, discon-
tentment and danger are abroad in the land.
To maintain the former condition and pre-
vent the latter. should be the purpose and
study of every one interested in the well be-
ing of society. Society cannot afford the
latter predicament to exist. Therefore NAL
administration in transportation naturally
q, 81. l.xx AL
so il the just equilibrium to which have re-
ferred be not maintained by one means it
will be by another. This is the experience
of communities it is the history of nations.
If too long postponed or resisted the remedy
is apt to be harsh and sometimes unreasOna.
Bile. But the harshness and unreasonabno
are not likely to exte nd beyond that of the
wrongs against which the remedy was pro-
vded. The swing of the pendulum is about