The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-08-27
IN OTHER STATES.
How railroad Commissions
Have Operated Elsewhere.
lhe Experience Of New Yorg aud Mich
gSn Warmers and Business Men.



Reference having been made to the
repor OF the New York Railroad Com
miss nor by newspaper hostile to
railiual Interests in this State, we de-
sire "a give the true significance OF that
report
In Ap,it Of 1888, bill was intrs.
ducol h. the Senate of the State oil
New orG, providing for a regulation
Of tie tJ1.ght charges OF railroads il
thai r.lJe sind especially for adjusting
loca freight rates on pro rata basis o.
through rates. This bill was referred
to the Board of Commissioners, which
Immediately prepared circular call
ing Tor all facts, opinions and sugges-
tons in relation to the propriety OF the
adoption OF the bill, or Of any proposed
amendment TO the railroad laws OF the
State.
Twelve thousand of these circulars
were sent to oranges, agricultural So
cieties, farmers, dealers, produce deal
ers, boards OF trade and other com
mercial bodies, railroad companies.
business firms and manufacturers. A
great many responses were returned,
and opinions and suggestions were
presented from every conceivable
standpoint.
After an intelligent, painstakng, i'm
partial and exhaustive investigation
OF the subject, the board advised
against the bill as proposed or as
amended in any Of the communities
tons to the board, and, furthermore,
took the broad ground that no specific
rate-fixing legislation could be recon-
mended, and suggested that the remedy
tor alleged abuses lay properly in re-
formatory action taken by the rail-
roads themselves for their own in
terest in perfecting pleasant and mu-
tually profitable relations with their
patrons.
The reasons which warrant this con.
cusion are incorporated in the numer.
Gus reports and arguments presented
to the board, and the decision is also
justified by the lamentable failures
made by States which attempted such
regulations OF freight rates. Mr.. H.
l.. Howe, Of Oswego, who ships 3d.
100000 pounds of freight each year,
and whose interest calls for the lowest
rates, voiced the opinion Of many
business men, who alike are after the
cheapest rates, when he said: "The
question OF freight rates should be left
70 be handled by those directly in
terested, like all other business, upon
business principles, as they must BIZ
s influenced largely by circumstance
} and conditions surrounding and ne
: cessarily entering into the varied trans.
Q actions, and cannot be controlled by
3 any arbitrary fixed rule"
The Michigan Commissioner ex-
presses the same truth in his report OF
! 1880, as follows:
! II is certain that no rates can be made
! Of universal application to all roads
I alike without working the grossest in.
e justice and hardship. The consideration
), OF cost of doing the business enters SO
= largely into the question of rates, while
: the conditions OF roadbed, graduate aud
| character Of line generally have 80 much
influence in determining the cost on
- each particular road, that it is not at al
certain that the interests OF the public
and the corporations will not be the bes
: promoted by leaving the great principle
: OF supply and demand" to regulats the
price Of railroad transportation the SAINT
as it does that OF the commodities car
ried.
The principle applies to thesworl
n and interference OF a commission a
n well. No commission can properl
regulate matters which depend upo,
W the contingencies OF varying circum
l. stance, trade and competition, whicl
X variously affect each line OF road
a. Minnesota tried that experiment, an,
the rates prescribed by the commits
!, sion produced such new and unheard
1t OF discrimination the whole law wa
at speedily repealed. Michigan tried ii
n and it was found so utterly impracti
=. cable the law was disregarded by tn
&c railroads with the consent Of the pee
al pie. Ohio has such law, and it is
n dead letter which nobody observes
IN The miserable failures in other State
Al would greatly lengthen the list.
al Although the New York Board speal
t from an interested standpoint, an,
1t would naturally endeavor to magnif
he the value and necessity OF a commits
ed sion, the whole tenor OF their report
opposed to the policy OF interference
to such as is contemplated bv the pre-.
IN ent law in Tennessee. Yet no outsid
I'd evidence is necessary to show thi
&C. The attempt in this State is acknow
~ edged to be a monumental failur,
10 The law creating commission
O. Tennessee is an sbsurdity which
in under the ban OF judicial condemns
u, ton, and to elect Commissioners unde
Il it would be equivalent to eleclin
G. without law.