Omaha daily bee., 1888-03-27
What the Inter State Act Has Done
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In the last number of Science Apple
ton Morgan elaborately reviews recent
experiments in railroad regulation, and
concludes that the results are as un-
satisfactory to the non-railway public as
Balaam's cursing of Israel was TO Balak.
SWhat hast thou done unto mep" cried
the disappointed king. II took thee to
curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou
hast blessed them altogether. A strict
parallel is presented, Mr.. Morgan
thinks, by the work Of the inter state
commerce commission. Created solely
in the expectation that it would benefit
! the public it has steadily and per-
sistently ruled in favor of the
railroads, and in its first report rejoiced
publicly that railroad earnings had been
increased under its administration and
mo destructive rate wars had oc-
Cured" Mr.. Mogan reviews the work
OF the commission with great sarcasm
and is particularly severe in dealing
with the noted decision i'm the Louis
vile & Nashville case, where the COM
mission '.seized upon its first opportun-
ity to assume that the statute of inter-
state commerce was of no practical value
to anybody, but intended to be under.
stood in a purely Pickwickian sense"
These structures are fully deserved. In
the case referred to-the first important
one taken into consideration-the COM
mission eXerted itself to strip the short
haul rule of all meaning, and it has
ever since adhered strictly to q do-noth-
ing policy. The commission has done
its best to eviscerate the law and con-
strue it at all points against the public
and in favor OF the carriers. After the
experience had with this body Mr.. Nor
gan asks whether congress will not feel
encouraged to establish ian Interstate
theatrical commission which shall re-
view and absorb the early functions of
Master of the Revel,' Stage Censor
and Lord Chamberlain"
Mr. Morgan is clearly in error in as
suming because the work of the COM
mission has been so wretchedly weak
and inadequate that the Interstate act
itself has been of no benefit to the pub
lie. Aside from and independent OF
anything done by the commission the
self-operative features of the act have
produced good results. No one is now
asking the repeal or even any con-
siderable amendment of the measure
Freight rates on an average in
the northwest are 20 per cent lower than
before the adoption of the act. With
pooling prohibited and competition
made free the railroads were defeated
in their efforts to shove up rates, and
were compelled finally to make n ma
terial reduction in both state and inter-
state charges. The annual saving to
the farmers and shippers in Illinois and
Iowa alone can hardly be estimated AT
less than $15,000,000. The reduction
came first on the Interstate hauls, but
free competition at last brought the do
meStic tariffs down to a corresponding
level. Many Of these benefits were OBJ
tanned in spite of the commission, and
none of them on account of anything it
did. In the matter of the drum
mer's mileage, for instance,
after the commission had fully
approved the 3-cent rate competition
forced the railroads to reduce il to two
and two and a half-the carriers being
thus unable to hold fast all the commits
sion gave them! No one supposed that
the interstate act could work as we'll as
it has when hampered and opposed by
the commission appointed to execute it,
Substantial benefits have been realized
from the interstate act, and more will
come when the commission is reorgan-
lied SO as TO give IL vigorous enforce
ment. One of the duties Of the next
republican president will be to reorgan-
ize the commission so that it shall not
be composed exclusively of democrats
and mugWumpS aud not devoted solely
to the service of the railroad corpora
tionS.