Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-18
The Railroads and the People.
Atlanta Constitution.


The correspondence which we print
elsewhere between Mr.. J. W. HaRlOn,
the editor of the Quitman Herald, and
Maj. Campbell Wallace, the chairman Of
the state railroad commission. is not
only interesting but important, and, at
this junctuFe, deserves the attention OF
members of the legislature and the peO-
pie generally.
1t will be observed that Mai Wallace
has no fear that railroad combinations,
present or prospective, can iniure the
people, and his opinion in the matter is
worth something. There is probably no
man in this country who better under
stands the railroad business in all its
details and qualifications, or who has a
more sensitive appreciation Of the effect
that any railroad movement may have
on the interests of the people.
Is chairman of the state railroad COM
mission, Maj. Wallace has devoted him
self to the study of these questions, and
to zealously guarding the rights and in
terests Of the public, and it is his Opn-
ion that as long as the commission is left
free to exercise its powers the people
have nothing to fear from railroad mo-
nopolies or combinations.
The truth is, that under the rulings OF
the commission railroad combination set
on foot in Georgia is calculated to bring
about cheaper rates than short and weak
roads. The reason Of this is very simple.
Formerly, when the public had no COM
mission to protect them, railroad COM
bination was very serious matter. 1t
was worse than monopoly, for u was
able not only to rob the public by leyying
an unjust tax on the products of the coun-
try. but it was able to establish and main
tain unjust determinations against indi-
yiduals and communities.
All this is changed by the state railroad
commission. 1t is matter Of indiffer-
ence to the people of Georgia whether the
corporations compete with each other OF
not. The commission compels them to
charge reasonable rates whether they OPP
crate as single lines or in combination.
We have said that combinations, which
were formerly dangerous, are now calcu-
lated to bring about cheaper rates. In
der the rules of the commission all the
lines of a combination are counted as one
line, and the public gets the benefit o.
this in cheaper rates than it would get
the lines were operated separately anu
under different homogeneous.
Those who established the commission
may not have built better than they knew,
but they built wisely. Before the rail-
road law of Georgia was adopted the cor
porations had matters pretty much Their
own way. They were practically cOnso!-
idated by means of the spool, and
when there was an interlude in the reign
of the ''pool' a cutting of rates fol-
lawed that was ruinous to the roads ana
demoralizing TO the public.
The commission was not established 70
promote competition between the rail-
ways, but to compel them to give the
people reasonable rates and to preVenb
unjust determinations in the mat
ter of rates and transportation.
The object for which the commits
sion was established has been carried
out so effectuaIly that no coubinatiOn Oh
railroads in this state would be powerful
enough TO injure the public in the
slightest degree The state has them
absolutely under control so far as their
operations affect the people.
Nor has this control, though it has
been exercised by the commission TO re-
lieve the public of excessive charges and
unjust Determinations had the effect OF
gripping the corporations. On the con-
tfdIl tAcy nave pEOSpCESu 10 sACH a "
gree that new lines have been built and
others projected.
Under all the circumstances what ne
cessity can there be for any further leg
islatlon, especiallEswh such Legislation
instead of helpin gRe people is calculated
to drive away capaready to invest N
new railroad enterFEes? The people are
satisfied with the Ss,etiVs as it is.