The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-01-25
Railroad ReguIation-Its Progress
and Results.
EXTRACT FROM ADDRESS OF GOV. cULLUM
OF ILLINOIS.

ana Results.
EXTRACT FROM ADDRESS OF GOV. cULLUA
OF ILLINOIS.
| We depend mainly upon railroads to take
our products to market The farmer, in
these days Of fast living, would have sorry
time OF ii without the railroad While they
are a power for good, they may become op'
pressive, and hence the reason why the
State lays its hand upon them and says ia
those in control you may operate your
/ roads for reasonable charges and pEoflts, but
I Won shall not extart aud become power fol
oppression" We have bad quite a strug'
Gle in this State aud country on the ques-
ton of the Of the State to regulate
railroads. In the days when we had nc
railroads ard men wanted charters from our
Legislatures to build roads, they got them
with any provision they desired to write IN
the bills The time came when the people
thought they were oppressive-the struggle
as to the question Of the State regulating
them began The question got into our
Constitutional Convention, then into the
courts, and step by step We have been set
thing the relative,,rights of the people and the
roads, until to-day our Railroad Commits
sion make and publish new schedules OF
rates under the law, and for the first time
in our history the leading roads. without
DELAY, make their schedules to conform to
the rates fixed by the board. Great pro-
gress has been made in the right direction
REPORT OF THE RAILROAD COMMISSION OF
KENTUCKY.
Courier Journal.
1t shows thorough work, and this, with
last years report, is the result of two years
of work, observation and conviction. 1t
demonstrates satisfactorily that the conf
mission has been worth to the State during
its existence of nineteen months a million
dollars. 1t has put into the State Treasury
$139. 900 in excess of the amount derived
from railroad taxation for the two years
prior to their induction into office. More
than this amount has gone to the county,
town and city Treasures. The reduction
on passenger rates and freight tarlffs
secured through their intercessi0n makes
up the remainder of the amount. The bill
under which they act requires them to re-
port if freights and railroads can be CLASH
fed, in this State, and if so, how. The COM
missioners say in their report that both can
be classified, and give their views in
the report as to the manner of classification
of both They lean to the classiications
and other provisions of the Georgia law.
HOW 1T HAS WORKED IN ALABAMA
Montgomery Advertiser.
We have watched the labdrs of the Rail-
road Commission very attentfyely and with
a fear at the outset that the scheme would
fail of its object. Hoping that it would
prove a regulator of freights aud passage
charges, if not actually reducing the then
existing charges, we felt no confidence in its
success. 1t seemed to US hardly probable
that corporations controlling large sums of
money and backed by the sympathy of the
federal judiciary, would acquiesce, unless
compelled after long and costly legislation,
in the advice or suggestions of board of
State officers, especially when the board as
in the case of Alabama, is composed two
thirds of gentlemen who are not experts in
railroad matters.
The result has justified the wisdom of the
Legislature, and has surprised those who
doubted the efficacy of the measure. The
roads have met the Commission in most
friendly spirit. They have acknowledged
that their interest ard those of the people of
the State are identical; that one cannot suf-
fer without entailing loss an the other
They have accepted the rulings of the
commissioners and have ordered all their
recommendations to be carried out. In
consenting to this legislation the roads have
done with no mental reservation and no
purpose of paralyzing or defeating the COM
mission by dishonest devices
Every thing between the roads and the
commission appears to have been done in
fair spirit and with honest Intentions The
result is that charges for passenger trans
portion have been reduced one,half, that
freight charges have been largely reduced,
and that the roads do not appear to have
suffered from the reformation. The cost of
the commissioners is not drop in the
bucket compared to the benefits they are
rendering agriculture and commerce.