Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-04
Rniiroa,Eers co,,,itn 70 Reaso,a.

The discussion of the railroad question
in the speech of President Adams of the
Union Pacific, in the letter of President
Roberts Of the Pennsylvania. and in re-
cent interviews with other railroad mag
mates, indicates that the transportation
problem may be solved without any re-
treat from the ground taken in the inter-
state commerce law. Instead OF at
tempting to make war upon the law, the
more judicioas ofsthe railroad managers
have come to recognize the necessity of
ebeying its provisions
One of the most significant indications
OF the good effects produced by public
discussion is the late conference of rail-
road presidents to fix stable rates of
freight on the Western lines and to put
an end to the reckless warfare of trans
pOriation agents. Under the argument
OF the conference all freight rates were
| restored to their old basis till the new
year, and the establishment of new rates
is to be made in future part of the duty
of the railroad presidents committee
| composed Of trusty men Of the several
companies viii decide upon proposed
changes of freight rates and other ques-
tions that may be Submitted8o them from
time to time
In this action is involved a confession
that too much authority has hitherto been
conferred upon irresponsible subordi-
mates. As result secret rates have fire.
quently been given to transporters in
order to draw their trade from opposition
lines, and this has been followed by
costly railroad wars. Hereafter, under
this agreement, railroad presidents viii
be able to give reasons to their stock
holders and to the public when rates of
transportation shall be advanced or low
cred. II these reasons should prove un-
satisfactory the stockholders in the annual
meetings would have an opportunity at
least to rescue the management from
their hands. They will no longer be able
to shift the responsibility for wanton rail-
road wars.
To say that the interstate commerce
act needs amendment is only to admit
that it is imperfect, like all other human
institutions. But the attempts to amend
the law by repeating or modifying the
pooling and long and short haul provls-
ions may as wen be abandoned and it is
evident that most of the railroad man.
ayers have reached that conclusion.
There are however, one or two points in
which the law could be amended to the
decided advantage of railroad stockhold-
ers and the public. One of these is the
enactment OF provision requiring That
every change of railroad schedule,
whether to reduce or to advance rates of
freight, shall be published at least ten
days before the change is to take effect.
This would prevent favorite transporters
familiar with inside railroad operations
from taking undue advantage of their SUI
perior knowledge. Proclamation of a
change of rates ten days in advance of its
execution would put all shippers on an
equal footing, and it would completely
check the secret arrangements that are
so disastrous to far trade.
The other amendment should be the
prohibition of the ticket agents commits
sion abuse. In their recent conference
the railroad presidents conceded the
business of the action of the interstate
commerce commission in regard to this
scandal It only remains for the law to
prohibit and punish what the parties con-
cerned acknowledge to be a great evil.
But while the railroad managers gra-
ciously defer to public opinion now,
when the mischief of this ticket-com-
mission scandal is fragrant, there has
been no guarantee offered that the abuse
will not break OUT with new fury on the
first occasion. When made punishable
by law of congress railroad managers
viii not be so reckless in committing an
offense which they concede to be a wrong
to their stockholders as well as to the
travelling public.