The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-02-22
TPE CONTROL OF RAILROADS.

| TPE. CONTROL OF RAILROADS.
Kansas City Times: The apparent
feebleness of al. the efforts of the legis
latures CT the various stxies which have
attempted to deal with the question oil
railroad transportation rates makes Mr.
Nimmo's report of the internal CON-
merce OF the United States very appro-
pirate and interesting reading. Mr. MIN
mo goes very exclusively into the rail-
road question, and his explanations and
illustrations Of the pooling system, u
and ali the intricate manipulations ol
the railroad traffic system, would be very
profitable reading for the embryo st ties.
men who have been airing their elo-
quenee at Topeka and Jefferson City.
No man can form an adequate judg-
ment on the railway system of the Uni
ted States, or be competent to legIslate
on it except he frst thoroughly under
derstands it, He is dealing With the
greatest chartered interest that this coun
try can ever have-an interest fully in
possession of its chosen ground, inIrench-
ed in all its positions by the laws passed
by eager and willing legislatures. II is
guided aud directed by the best talent
In the whole country, and it is managed
with a boldness that comes from a con-
sciOusness of strength and quickness
audthOzoughness of execution which is
always the surest prelude TO success.
Mr.. Nimmo does not feel called upon
in his position to suggest remedies to
the Acknowledged evils which are prev
alent in the management Of our railroad
system, but he does not recognize as
evils the consolidation OF various roads,
nor does lac think the principle of equal
mileage rates sound one, nor does he
approve of establishing standards for
the revision of rat IS founded on cost
and profit. Inst-ad of making sugges-
tions, he refers 10 the course of the only
government that has undertaken to deal
with the railroad question, whose rail-
rJad system was like our own.
The FIRST railroad committee in Eng
land was appointed in 1889. Sir Robert
| Peel was one OF its members. Various
committees haYe been appointed since.
The joint selrct committeeo of 1872, profit
ing by all the experience and the re-
searches of the committees that had pre-
cedeI il, came To this conclusion: at
has become more and more evident that
competition must fail to do for rail
ways what ii does for ordinary trade,
and no means have yet been devised by
which competition can be permanently
maintained" This, we think, has been
clearly and emphatically the experience
in this country. In vieR of this FACT,
the committee of 1872 recommended the
establishment of technical tribunal
with adequate powers to regulate the
whole railway system of Great Britain.
In July, 1878, such u tribunal was
created, to last for five years. Subse
quently it was twice renewed, and ex-
pired finally on the Slst of December,
1882. The commission was composed
of three persons; one from his thorough
practical knowledge of railroads, and
the third from his ability as statesman.
The commission was both judicial and
administrative It's bowers covered the
whole ground of the connection OF the
railroad companies with the public lex.
cept the questions relative to remedies
for damages sustained or the non per
form 4nce of contracts
Now this commission, armed with
such complete powers, has had really
but little TO do. Their rules and de
cisions have been cheeriully acquiesced
in by the railroads. For their third
year in Office the commissioners report
Ell twenty four judgments delivered an
six working agreements between com
panies approved the fourth year nine
teen judgments and i've agreements ap
proved; the fifth year fourteen judg
ments and five agreements; for thci
sixth year, six judgments, and for thei
seventh year, nine judgments and si9
! working agreements submitted for thei
approval.
Mr.. Nimmo does not pretend To So,
: how far this system would be Applicant,
: to the railroads of the United States.
is, however, well worthy of study anC
investigation by The light his reDor
, throws upon 1t. There can be no dOub
, but that Great Baitain, US commercial
: nation, has studied all the questions con
nect=d with transportation and CONNER
, cial economy closer than any other
, Her experience IN managing railroads
may not be applicable to us, but II il
I certain that the evils complained o
there were identical with our railroad
troubles here.