Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-12-21
Is RAILROAD QUESTION OF THE
HOUR.


great abuses in railroad management.
Capital, organized and combined In
great railroad systems, under the con-
troll Of few men, was, In many instan-
ces being used illegitimately, and In
some instances almost disastrously TO
the interests OF the people. Congress
was aware Of il, and after some study
Of the various railway problems, very
short considering their magnitude,
framed the interstate commerce law to
correct the evils existing.
It might have been expected that the
law would have many detects. To estab-
lish rules and regulations governing the
whole railway mileage Of the United
States, matters which the combined rail
way intelligence OF the country had at
tempted In one way and another hun
dreds or times, and failed, was a task
even greater than Herculanean. Time
has proven that the law has most serious
defects in many sections. The Inter
state commission has gone as far as It
has authority, and widely construed the
the law In some instances and overlooked
It's observance in others.
There are portions Of the Law, how
ever, which the commission cannot &C
cept but In letter and spirit, which weigh
most heavily upon the carr er5, even to
the extent of depreciating the value Of
their property millions Of dollars, and
placing them almost in the hands OF
receivers. We refer to the long and
short haul clause and to the clause en-
tirely prohibiting pooling. THE UNION
has heretofore referred to the first Of
these and viii say nothing now in regard
TO it.
Pooling in its best form does not pre-
vent legitimate competition and never
did, but it does check cut-throat rail
reading is an injury to the
public and TO the carriers. Out-thrOat
business Is always deliteriOus, whatever
its field. Business is never OF general
and lasting good If it is not remunera-
tive-if it does not pay a small profit
AS matters now stand IN railroad affairs,
there being no way 70 maintain fair and
reasonable rates, the cut throat road,
the bankrupt road, the road that has no
dividends TO pay, merely the interest on
IFS bonds, has the great advantage IN
the field of competition and is eventually
IN the position OF dictator.
There is nothing short OF general con
solidation TO ameliOrate the evils of des-
the railroads of the country, especially
the western railroads, owing to over
construction, save pooling, which would
be infinitely better than wholesale con-
solicitations, SIS there would be much freer
competition under pools. Already there
has been talk OF consolidation OF all the
lines Of the southwest, the roads tor the
time desDairing OF help from congress.
built. It does not make matters better
60 say that this road was built too soon.
1t is built and hundreds of millions ara
wrapped mp in 1t. Money invested in
railroads cannot be taken out, and the
practical, common sense question which
appeals to every man, whether railroad
man or not, is, can the country afford to
see this new mileage-the building Of
which was OF greater general good, than
OF advantage to the corporal one, even If
it had made operating xpeDses-dr8g
great snd powerful and good roads down
with il? That Is almost the situation.
In the case OF the traus continental
lines, there is another very aggrRvatjng
question to contend with, which was not
taken into consideration when the law
was framed, but which is Of very serious
character-tbat OF water transportation,
which completes directly with them in all
seRboRrd business at ruinOus rates. Pre-
vious TO the framing of this law this
business was pooled, and by subsidies
and other pool arrangements the rates
were kept at a fair and reasonable figure.
BY 'fRir and reasonable we mean a fig
urs that enabled them to pay operating
expenses and a small dividend.
We believe in government supervision
OF railroads and that the interstate com
MERGE commission has a mission. 1t will
continue to have one while unjust dis
crimination lasts; but there are intriea-
cies OF management, born Of rival lines
and increasing composition which a COM
mission cannot best solve.
Despite the clsmor TO the contrary,
sometimes heard, the railroads have done
more for the country than they have re-
ceived. They ought to, and have the
right to exist and pay their debts, and
wait while the sections which
they serve are growing populous aud
prosperous. And we earnestly believe
that congress should come to the relief
OF the present situation, which we rsSret
to say is most alarming and fraught with
the greatest danger, by making pooling
in its best forms legitimate. In this
we are but voicing the convictions of all
public spirited and conservative men. who
have given the situation but more then a
passing thought.-F. p. Baker IN To-
1oeLd Union