St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-04
JUDGE COOLEY TALKS
Second Annual Convention OF
State Railway Commits
SionePS.
The Chairman Points Out
Some Glaring Errors OF
Management.
No Action on Theatrical Rates
by the Passenger AS
ISOLATION.
The Central Traffic Assoeia-
ton Considers Excur-
sion Rates.

WASHINGTON, March 3.-The first
session of the second annual convention
OF state railroad commissioners. ac-
counting officers ana others similarly
interested in railroad matters. was to-
day held in the rooms of the interstate
commerce commission. There were
about twenty-five members present at
. the opening of the session. Judge
Cooley. the chairman of the interstate
commerce commission. was elected
chairman of the convention: Commits
sioner George c. Croker. of Massachus-
etts, vice president. and T. A. MOsely,
secretary. and y. S. Decker. as
slstant secretary of the inter-
state commerce commission. were
respectively elected secretary and as
sistant secretary of the convention.
Judge Cooley. as chairman of the last
convention, read his annual address.
His address was q thoughtful discussion
OF the railroad problem. This problem.
the speaker maintained. was not the
loose legislation which permitted the
building OF unnecessary railways, not
the imperfect equipment of roads. nor
the relation between the railroad cor
poratlOnS and their employees. nor in
the diversities in the legislation of the
several states. The problem was pres
ent here. but not in its entirety. Judge
Cooley, in closing, said:
Mistakes Of Railroad Companies.
There are mischiefs in railroad serv-
ice that are outside of it. but we dis
tinctlY Indicate the main source of diff
Guilty when we place our finger upon the
power as it exists now TO make and I'M
make the rates for passenger and freight
transportation. So long as 800 bodies of
men in the country are at liberty to
make rate sheets at pleasure. and to
unmake or cut and recut them in every
direction at their own unlimited discre-
ton. or want of discretion. and with
little restraint on the part of the law,
except as 1t imposes a few days DELAY
in putting changes in force, the
problem viii remain to trouble us:
the mere existence of the power
making losses, disorder and confusion
constantly imminent. The authority to
reduce rates when they are found to be
excessive Is but slight corrective and
reaches the evils only on the public
side: and | need hardly remind you who
I understand it so well that in this mat
ter OF rates the power on the part of
the public authorities to compel the
railroads to do what is Just to each
other III respect to observing rates
which they have once made and to adj
herring TO rate sheets until there is
reasonable ground for changing them.
is so very slight that it may really be
regarded as too insignificant to be
spoken of as possessing substantial
value.
Committee Oh LEGISLATION.
The report of the committee on Iegis-
latiOn gave rise 10 brief discussion in
regard to securing uniformity in the
adoption of automatic conplers and
brakes. Reference was made to the
recommendation of the committee last
year that the state legislatures be urged
to enact such legislation. and also that
the subject be called to the attention of
congress. 1t was also stated that the
Interstate commission had brought these
matters before congress. Mr.. Rogers,
of New GOrk. thought that 4 federal
law should be enacted. The further
consideration of this subject was post
pOned until later in the session. A pa
per on the determinations from the use
OF private cars OF shippers was read by
Judge \. SchOOnmaker, and presented
in 4 fOrcIble manner the evils arising
from the use of private cars. The con-
cluSlOn was reached that if the entire
prohibition of the use OF private cars of
shippers was not practicable that feaS-
ible plan would seem to be that the pay
mentS in no case should exceed what
the expense would be to the carrier if
1t owned the car.