The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-02-21
Interstate Commerce.

philadelphia RecOrd,l
For good many years every new
congress has witnessed tie introduce
ton OF a bill to regulate interstate
or, in other words, to con-
troll the charges of the great railroad
companies for carrying freights ana /
passengers. With the purpose of the
bill of which Mr.. Reagan, of Texas, is !
the father the country has become !
pretty familiar; but it must be coz !
coded that it is as far from realization !
as when it was first re I'd in the House
committee OF commerce. With all
the superstitious faith in the virtue of
an act of congress, there is among the
people well-grounded opinion that
the application of cast-iron law to
the vast and complicated railway sys-
TEN of the country would mar mat
ter5 instead of mending them. FXpe-
rience in the Granger epoch taught
the valuable lesson that railway de-
velopment, with the varying condl-
tionS which determine cost of con-
struction and rates of freight, could
not tolerate arbitrary and uniform
enactmentS of state legislatures that
took no account OF these conditions
Much OF the Granger legislation still
stands unrepealed, and has been suS-
tanned in state and federal courts; but
because it is impracticable it has fallen
into neglect, with the connivance Of
those who were most clamorous for
it's enactment. In a good many in
stances competition has anticipated
the laws by reducing the rates OF
freight below the maximum fixed 10y
the legislatures.
Congress is asked by the Reagan bill
to venture into new and vast field
of legislation concerning the whole
railroad system of the country, not.
withstanding the fact that the gov
eminent has long refused to apply the
principle Of the measure to the rail-
roads that are under its control. The
charter of the Central Pacific railroad
company authorizes Congress to fix
maximum rates of freight and to eX-
ercise control over the road in various
other ways. Complaints are long and
loud that the Central Pacific company
makes most unjust Determinations
against the local traffic along its route;
that it charges less for through
freights from New York to San Fran
cisco than from New York to Salt
Lake City; that it grants special re-
bates and drawbacks to favorite trans
porters; that it has contract with
| the Sandwich Islands sugar manufac-
turers, under which the freight
| charges for sugar from the East to the
Pacific coast are prohibitory, and that
| it does many other things that are IN
just to the transporters and contrary
to sound policy. Here, then, is ample
| room and verge enough for Congress
to experiment il railroad legislation.
| When the government can control the
Pacific railroad company and bring
this gigantic monopoly within the
| provisions of its charter, then will be
time enough to practice upon the en-
tire railroad system of the country.
But when Congress refuses to exercise
the just power that belongs TO it over
a railroad corporation that has derived
it's breath from the general govern
rule in regard to freight to all the
railroads of the continent would be
alike futile and absurd.
| Against the Reagan bill is the prop
osition of Mr.. Charles Francis Adams
Jr., to establish a national railroad
commission, which is also before the
House committee of commerce. The
plan has been tried in England, in
Massachusetts and in New York, and
has the credit of working well. While
the commission will have no power tC
enforce it's demands. it can make sug.
gestions of reform and expose unjust
determinations and combinations in
freights. If composed of intelligent
and impartial men who are familiar
with railroad operations the commits
sion will be a board Of arbitration be-
tween the railroads and the public
and in this relation it may be able t.
accomplish much good. But But, even il
it it tan do little good, it can do no more
harm than to enable lot of commits.
sioners to ride around on tirst-claSs
cars at the expense of the govern
ment. Mr.. Commissioner Fink says
he is in favor of this government rail
road commission; and with him, as
we'll as the railroad corporations, it Is
choice between evils. The Reagan
bill is direct and mischieVous attack
while the commission may only point
the way to more dangerous interfer,
ence in the future. Mr.. Reagan's bill
however, might be conveniently
amended so as to apply to the Central
Pacific railroad and such of its
branches as are under the direct con-
troll of Congress. The rest OF the rail
roads of the country, great and small
hold their charters from other sover,
eigns, and only by implication of the
constitution, under the power to reg,
ulate commerce among the several
states" can Congress put them under
the discipline of the Reagan bill. AS
long as Congress cannot or will not
apply it's undoubted power over the
Central Pacific to restrain its unjust
determinations in freights, this
Reagan bill, in its attempt to assume
powers far greater and of more doubt
full character, may be regarded as only
"a tub to the whale"