National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-03-20
The Chief Railroad Ambassador Adj
vises Congress.

vises Congress.
Mr.. Albert Fink is undoubtedly the
highest authority in the United States in
all matters pertaining to railroad inter-
ests He has long been the commissioner
employed by the great trunk lines to
adjust the combinations between them.
He has written much on the subject of
railroad regulation. He has always firmly
opposed any interference by legislation
with the railroad business. He has
declared in an elaborate essay that
in fixing rates Of fares and freights by
rail the cost of the road and the ex-
pense of operating it are not alone to
control, but that the value of the SER
vices rendered are also properly an in
gredient. From this he argues that
the railroad company may properly
charge the shipper the amount of
the udlue tChich transportation has added 10
the commodity. There can be no doubt
that Commissioner Fink iswell informed
as to what will best subserve the interests
of the railway magnates whose agent he
is Congress should regard him, there
fore, merely as an advocate, and not as a
disinterested citizen. He will of course
| advise what is best for his clients On
Saturday, in his argument against the
Reagan bill to regulate interstate COM
merce, he said, in substance, that before
any move should be made in the matter
of enacting laws, an official investigation
of the whole subject was necessary, in or
der that Congress might legislate intelli-
gently. In response to an inquiry as to
what power should be granted the COM
mission of investigation, Mr.. Fink said +,
No power at present, except to malSg' in
quiries into the whole railroad ,Ssubiect
Let us see what. thaaeiiI evils complained
of are: MeG''o of the highest or
uer As5f intelligence on railroad mat
-Eers should be appointed" He re-
ferred to the manner in which Judge
Thurman grasped the railroad question as
being particularly striking, and said !:
"The commission ought to be composed
of that class of men," He thought that a
national commission, similar to the State
Railway Commission of Massachusetts,
would be about what is needed and
maintained that the railroads are anxious
to have something of this sort.
He is for no legislation. He is for slow
legislation. He is for experimental legis-
lation. He is for law authorizing in
quiries, but comforting no authority He
is for commission. He would consent
to Judge Thurman as one of the COM
missioners. This is perhaps on the
theory that the people ought to have one
of them. He is for law like that of
Massachusetts,, and says the railroads are
anxious for something of that sort
| The views of Charles Francis Adams
jr., in favor of railroad control, which
so agitated the country ten years ago
softened down to advocating the mild
commission now provided for by the
Massachusetts, law, which should tell the
public Of any eXtortion practiced by the
railroad corporations. This he con
tended would compel those sensitive
institutions at once to cease theil
oppressive exactions. This showed
the kindness of Mr.. Adams's heart, al.
though it did not convince the public
that his last opinions were better than
his first. Anybody not in public life has
a right to be railroad attorney. Con.
gressmen have not. 1t is not necessarily
communistic or agrarian for Congress tc
differ with Commissioner Fink.