Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-12-14
Combinations for the Protection OF Bust
ness OF the Roads and Their Patrons
Allowable, but Great trusts
Condemned

! WAgHNGroN, D. O.. December 8.-The
! following IS a summary of the annual re-
J port of the interstate commerce commits
} sion:
! From the best information now available
the railroad mileage Of the country. on the
| 30th day of June, 1888, is estimated at o.
781, Of which ., SO miles had been complet-
ed and brought into operation within the
six months preceding that day.
| The number Of corporations represented
/ is 1.25l, but, by reason Of leases or other
! contract arrangements, many corporations
/ hold, control and operate one or more roads
owned by other corporations, and the whole
number making reports or operated at the
/ time named was 665.
| The commission depIores the rate wars,
| and thinks that these evils are magnified by
! the custom Of allowing subordinates to make
rates. On the subject Of pooling and trusts,
the report says:
J It Is reasonable to expect that carriers Of
! the country Will, where practicable, make
such Joint arrangem enbs, so that the public
] shall ind an arrangement with one ade-
qua5e Tor the purposes Of any single tr8nsac-
| ton. There should be some means of en-
| forcing among carriers the obligations,
! moral or legal, that would grow out of such
| arrangements. The only effectual means
/ by which coed faith could be enforced was
/ the pooling of freight or earnings, but pool
! ing y now out of their power, being forbid
den by law. The tendency among railroads
| seems likely to be IN the direction Of con
/ sOlldatIOn as the only means of mutual pro-
tectIOn against rate wars. But anything
! equivalent to the creation of what is now,
/ technically denOminated as trust, could
/ hardly be supposed possible, even If the
/ parties were at liberty to form 1t at pleas
/ ure. II the parties could come into harmony
/ on the subject, an arrangement of the sort
would be SO powerful In It's control over the
/ business interests of the country, and so
/ susceptible to uses for mischsYIOus pur-
| poses, that public policy could not
! Tor moment sanction it, at least,
/ unless by statute it were held IN close legal
! restraints and under public control. Like
/ arrangements in other lines Of business are
already sufficiently threatening to the pub
| lie interest and the most ardent advocate of
Lhe concentration OF railroad authority can
| hardly expect that it viii control the trans
/ pOrtatiOn of the country. Lacking con
centratlOn of authority railroads can do
much towards better relations with the pub
/ lie and the establishment of better relations
among themselves. The need OF this is
very imperative. In all the cutting OF rates
/ the party beginning it makes insinuatiOns
against It's competitors. Carriers cutting
rates have proclaimed that the reduced
rates were all that could be justly demanded
| when persons having experience knew that
/ persistence IN such rates would lead directly
/ to bankruptcy. An impartial observer is
compelled to say that such methods do not
| belong to the present age. To make the
| adversary feel and fear the power to intiict
| injuryis often the first and principal thought
I and q rate is cut, when in a ruder age it
would have been a throat The motive is
| to obtain right or eZtOrt a privilege, or
punish a wrong and irrespective of any
question Yhether there are not legal rene
dies which are adequate for all purposes of
substantial Justice. While this commission
| is not at this time prepared TO recommend
general legislation towards the establish
ment and promotion Of relations between
] the carriers that shall better subssrYe the
common, but must nevertheless look for
ward TO the possibility of something of that
nature becoming imperative unless a great
improvement in the existing conditions is
voluntarily inRugUrated.