Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-02
A Great Problem.

/ n NHGdI 4 EOUltAhs
Some Of the members Of the Senate in
ter-State commerce committee have had
good deal to say, since their return to
Washington, about the impressions they
/ gained in different parts of the country
/ relative to the Interstate commerce
problem. Senator Harris, of Tennessee,
[ for instance, is quoted in the Washington
! National Republican as follows: when
| we first began our inquiry l made up my
mind upon certain poins and felt that l
had the correct solution Of the whole
matter. Then ] would meet some expe-
rienced and practical railroad man, and
IN about ten minutes talk he would take
all the underpinning out Of my legislative
structure, and I'd feel all at sea again.
Then I'd start to build. and about the
time | felt that saw the proper course to
be adopted in settling the question, the
same thing would happen again, until
now | don't feel as il / knew half so
much about the matter as when | first
began the investigation. The whole sub
ject is a bunch Of complexities, and as
the railroad interest is such a vast one as
TO aggregate one-fifth OF the whole wealth
of the country, any legislation affecting
their interests must be very cautious.
Rates cannot be fixed by legislation.
What can be done is to say that the roads
shall publish their rates and stick to them
until they are changed by due notice be-
ing given. This will tend to break up
railroad wars, and will be beneficial to
the companies as we'll as to the patrons.
Then the practice Of companies charging,
in many cases. more for a short haul than
for a long haul, must be prohibited, so that
In no case the aggregate rate for the long
haul shall be less than the rate to any in
teryening point on the road. But, as
said before, legislation must be very slow,
that no mistakes be made"
The Senator is much more frank than
the Railroad Commission of this State is,
or else his ability to grapple with the
problems of railway management is not
as great as that of our commission, be-
cause tits doubtful il anybody ever heard
the venerable chairman Of the commits
sion admit that he did not understand
fully all the various questions involved in
railroad management.
However, it may be said that the ques-
tons presented by State railroads are not
as complex as those presented by inter-
State roatis, and that a commission,
although fully equal to making rules and
regulations and fixing rates for State
roads, would be forced to admit the i'm
poccfhfIitx- If raerlo tipO O nd 5iractiny tho
affairs Of Interstate roads. 1t is doubt
full, however, if such an explanation
would be generally accepted as satisfac-
tory. The same sort of problems are pre-
sented in the management Of State as
Interstate roads, and those who could
solve the problems of the management of
one class of roads would not find it impOs-
sible TO solve the problems OF the manage
ment Of the other class.
While it is probable that Congress will,
within a few years, pass a law Of some
kind for the regulation of interstate rail
roads, there are indications of growing
belief that too much has been attempt
ed. If some of the advocates of govern
ment regulation Of Interstate railroads
could have their way, they would not only
make regulations controlling the sche-
dulles and preventing DETERMINATIONS, but
they would also insist on fixing the rates.
Those who want such sweeping legisa-
ton, however, have no idea OF the diff
culties in the way Of what they propose.
Indeed, all they know is that they want a
certain thing done. They have never at
tempted to find out whether itcan be done.
Senator Harris seems to have thought
that he knew all about the matter, and
could frame bill in a little while that
would give satisfaction to all concerned.
Investigation has convinced him that he
was Mi staken, and after long and care
full study Of the questions which are pre-
scented by the proposition to put inter-
state roads under the control OF the gov
erAment, he is compelled to say that he
sees no satisfactory solution Of them.