The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-02-23
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.


Tho readers OF he HERALD oil know that
Hos JouS IL. REAGAN, member OF congress
from this state aud now chairman OF the
house committee OF commerce, has Tor
some years past been trying 10 push
through congress u bill for the regulation
OF interstate commerce as to RAILROAD tariffs,
lie ard the friends OF his bill londly hoped
that when he was made chairman OF the
commerce committee he would meet with
no difficulty IN making "a favorable report
on his bill nor In It's passage, but 1t seems
they c'unted without thor host. From
late news from Washington II appears that
Nh. RKAGAS himself iIuot now sanguine
olthe passage. His committee 10 FAR from
being unanimous, indeed II SCENE that
n majority are opposed 10 II. The
committee Is divided as to what
sort of measure, n any, ought
10 DO adopted. lie has consented to the
committee 10 allow some notifications II
necessary, but he only counts certainly on
50 ven votes including his own, yet hopes
he may get the eighth, eigst being ma
ioii,y of the committee. Tho trouble with
most of the members OF the committee
seems to be MS to what pswers to give cont
mission for regulating freight rates, II one
be appointed. Some members think II
would be unconstitutional to clolhe the
commission with judicial pouer, contend
ing that the solution OF the problems should
be left to the regular courts. Mn. OSCAR
TURNER contends that no commission IL
needed at all, and that the commerce COM
M Zee itself can regulate inter tate COM
merce. Those of the committee who favor
a commission, OF whom Mr.. REAoAN is not
one. think Mr.. REAoAS's bill entirely too
stringent Us an ii i.ial measure. BAR. BARKs.
DALE, one OF the committee, has prepared
bill providing for the appointment
OF six commissioners by the president, WITH
pc wer to make reasonable freight and pas
senger rates, for each interstate railroad.
Mr.. PETERS another member OF the commit
tee, has bill for the establishment Of a
national court OF arbitration TO consist OF II
chief justice and four associates, appointed
by the president, 10 sit in Washington, none
of It's members to DO inter-
ested as stakeholder or director
In any railroad, telegraph, tele-
phone, manufacturing or mining corpora
ton, with power to determine the compen-
sa,ion for skilled and unskilled labor Tor
any corporation or person Whose Interest
extends from one state into another, and
to fix the maximum freight and passenger
rates Of interstate com mon carriers, to de-
termlne par!or and sleeping car rates, ana
to fix the rates for telegraph and telephone
messages. This bill, we take 1t,
would be unconstitutional. There
are several other bills oil
similsr import before the committee from
others Of its members. These various DIS
all show what diversity Of opiaion on this
question Of the regulation of interstate
commerce, prevails throughout the country.
Can we not reasonably INFER aud argue
rom this that Che country is not desirous
of any Interference by congress with the
railroads? Il IS an admitted fact that rail
road ptogress AND Development IN the
at atsu ana territories az whole
are far. ahead Of the times and
necessities Of commerce and trade.
In the older states there may be no
more railroad facilities than oxigsnciea de-
mand, but in the western and southern
statos comparatively sparse in population
and with limitlsss inchoats resources, men
of enterprise, OF energy, and o! mcsna have
invested their capital and their la
Dor In railroads trusting to immi-
grafton and TO development OF
these resourcea TO make their investments
pay. These investments hsvo given ini-
petus TO tho advancement of these regions
of which we speak, have brought immisrs-
ton and other capital ia their wake for
their development aud their growth and
Is it visa or prudent or just to hedge them
about, these railroads and other internal
with legal cnnctments that
will DO as clogs TO their prosperity, as
hindrances to their well bslnsP The cry OF
monopoly 10 cheap clap trap, it IS slogan
perhaps, to make the groundlings roar and
howl. but Is il not tho superlative OF folly
the very ACME OF suicidal action to MAIN
and " ound and cripple that which helps
the public good, which aids in the general
weliaref Water finds its level, trade evens
M itself. and railroad competition withina
state or from one state to another, balance
and wherefore all much this ado
about nothing"