Omaha daily bee., 1889-03-22
RAILROAD RETALIATION.

The railroads of Iowa have entered
upon the policy of retaliation that was
threatened when the rate schedule of
the railroad commissioners was estab-
lished. They have reduced the local
service and accommodations, arranged
the running schedules with the obvious
purpose of giving the travelling public
the greatest possible inconvenience
and annoyance, and otherwise are
manifesting disposition to punish the
people of Iowa. SO far as possible, for
the action of the railroad commission
in reducing rates. We are credibly in
formed that on the branch roads there
has not only been a great decrease in
facilities and an increase. in the run
ming time, but that time cards are ar
ranged so as to avoid connections be-
with these on the main lines. This is
especially annoying to the Commercial
travellers, who are put to e'.tra expense
and whose business suffers from delay.
This state of affairs also necessarily af-
fects unfavorably the general distribu-
tiOn Of merchandise, and must prove
damaging to business throughout the
state. Meantime the railroads are
steadily improving through traffic fa-
cilities.
Ofcourse the managers will claim that
their action is necessary in in order to
enable the roads to pay expenses on
Iowa business at the reduced rates, but
their method clearly shows that the
spirit of retaliation had more to do with
prompting it than the necessity for
economy. Granting the reduction of
accommodation to be justifiable, that
does not render necessary other ele-
ments productive of the greatest posi-
bic inconvenience and annoyance to the
public. 1t seems evident that the rail-
roads have combined to carry out a pol
icy designed to punish the people of
Iowa, and thus if possible create a feel
ing which may result in forcing the
people to let the railroads have their
own way. In effect the railway mana
gers say to the people of Iowa: If you
insist upon making rate schedules for
| us we will give you the poorest service
we dare to. and not only this but we
will render it in such a way as to cause
| you the most serious trouble and dam
age.
1t cannot be doubted that the railroads
are making very grave mistake in
pursuing policy of this kind. 1t will
not accomplish the only apparent object
| it can be intended to effect. The
people of Iowa will not surrender
their rights OF railroad regula-
tion, however great the sac.
lifce they may have to make in order
| to maintain it. II the railroads persist
in making war upon the public inter
ests and welfare, the people have not
yet exhausted their power to deal with
the corporations. The policy of the
railroads should be not to create and in.
tensify popular hostility, but by a fair
and straightforward course convince
the public OF any injustice that may
exist and seek the remedy by appeal &c
the intelligence and fairness of the
people. The claim of the railroads
at the rates provided for them canno
be established by the course they are
pursuing, and until it is established by
adequate experiment they cannot $ aus
factorily defend demand for an in
crease OF the rates. In the last judicia
decision sustaining the authority Of the
Iowa railroad commission to make
rates, Judge Brewer said the question
as to whether the rates established b.
the commission are too low to allow the
roads to do business profitably unde
them could be determined only by &C
tual experiment. 1t was matter be
yond the ability Of any tribunal to de-
eide. The necessary trial the corpora
tions refuse to make, and instead en-