Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-08-02
OLYMPIA. WASHINGTON TER.
OLYMPIA. FRIDAY EVENING. AUG. 3, 1859,
The Vital Question.

The Vital Question.
There is no subject that has come
before the Convention more vital to
the prosperity OF the new State than
that on which the Committee Oh Cor
porations made its report on Friday
last, and which has not vet been acted
on in the Committee OF the Whole.
Blessed as VIC are with the greatest
waterways OF any State in the Union
the great Columbia, with its tributa.
ries intersecting the larger part Of
Eastern Washington; the Chehalis
with its magnificent outlet of Gray's
Harbor, and our own wonderful Sound
with its bays and inlets, washing the
beaches of thousands OF miles of shore
line; our prosperous State has grown
into needs beyond their once sufficient
capacity and the greatest demands Of
our country to-day is RAILROADS
Railroads East-Railroads West
North and South; Railways giving us
additional communication with the fal
East; Railways connecting local points
Railways bringing down our products
TO tide water where they may, by
steam and sail, seek the markets of the
world. Our great frs and cedars, in
what are now inaccessible places, must
find their way on iron rails to purchas-
ers that await them. Our coal and
minerals must resolve themselves into
iron rails, upon which yet other coal
and minerals shall find their way into
the workshops which will fashion
them into commercial shapes and send
them still further onward to useful
ends, and the millions of bushels OF
wheat and barley, and the fruits OF
myriad orchards, and the thousands OF
hoofed and horned cattle, with all the
varied products of the husbandmen,
must all ask the railroad for transpor-
tation to profitable and eager markets.
The foundation for our great State
has been laid broad and deep, by the
men who, in the earlier days, with
great labor and much hardship, bent
hard conditions to their purposes and
made fruitful farms from virgin forests.
Allhonor to the cold Settlers" They
have done their good work. May their
Autumn years bring them a bounteOus
harvest and serene, prosperous days!
What they have made possible must be
completed by other hands. To supple
ment their labors, we now need men Of
means; we want to welcome the sur
plus money Of older States, and by its
aid, build the lines of transportation
so much needed; but while we well
come the builders of railroads, and
open our lands to their iron rails, we
have need, with a wise discretion, to
remember that the servant of to-day
may be the arbitrary master of to-
morrow, and it behooves us to hedge
it in with safeguards, that may fully
protect the community from its greed
and yet leave it generously free in all
that induces its coming and is essen
tial to its prosperity. If We legislate
wisely and we'll in this matter, we shall
have our State gridironed by rail;
for our great State and its future are
in al mems mouths, and money is
ready on al sides to push in to profit
able investment.
The Committee on Corporations
seem to have considered the subject
with some care, and the major part of
What they offer to the Convention will
Ffuetoy ~ acceptable. The prelude
81 6Gcfion is, "That all railroads,
nals ~ pther transportation COM
J: Ds n slhbject to legislative con-
It'd, whiIo well to declare, is simply
an endorsement of the Supreme Court
Of the United States, the famous Gran
ger suits being carried to that tribunal,
and 60 decided. The compulsory con-
nection with other roads Of the same
gauge; the formation of combinations
with other common carrien; preven-
ton Of discrimination of rates a. be-
tween persons and places; of consoli-
dation with competing lines; the lia-
bility Of rolling stock for debt, ETC., etc.,
are all in the line of judicious restric-
ton: a-wise legislation that induces
confidence, and if restricting the own
ers of railroads somewhat in the free
movement desired by capital, are but
IN adequate return for largesse in the
right of eminent domain and other
franchises.
After the body of this bill is complete,
comes the unfortunate addition of .
tail, and . tail with such sting that
it seems liable. like the harassed scor-
pion, to sting the body TO its death.
By section 81 il created Railroad
Commission, elective by the people,
whose duties it shall be to regulate
fares and freights upon all railroads
within the State, and prescribe and
limit the charges thereof" To any one
at all conversant with railroad matters
the amount Of training and long ex-
perience in, and knowledge of, minute
details, cost and maintenance of line,
into which enters cost of right of way,
engineering, the life Of rail-tie and
bridges, (the two latter problems not
yet solved in this State), and the for
mer largely dependent upon the grades
and traffic and extent Of sidings; cost
Of transportation, into which enters all
questions Of cost of maintenance, first
cost and life of all material used, in
elusive of accidents by field and
flood" under conditions for which
there are as yet no formulated averages
to be governed by, and all the thou
sand details that go to make the ne
cessary knowledge Of a railroad man,
fSt IN decide ratea and fares and IN