The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-01-21
TILE ARRLrRArLON POWER.

IuO lOllOWIlS 10 IilG IlldJSlldl paw
The intimation that the state raj
way commission would interfere to pre-
vent the enforcement of a labor de
mand that connecting lines shall no
receive freight from the Arkansas Pas
road is probably not well founded.
is not conceivable that such condition
would come within the purview of tn
commission. 1t very properly require
all roads to receive freight rendered
by connecting lines, but its pOwe
ends with the executive officers of tn,
road. 1t has no authority to cOmpe
employees to handle obnoxious freight
and when tho road, through no fault
of its own, is unable to handle freight
the commission could no more cOmpe
it to accept freight than it could com
pei the running Of passenger train
across river when bridge had beer
washed away.
Therailroad commission was created
to control railroads in their handling
of freight, and the railroads mean not
simply the chief officers, but the roll
ing stock, the rails, the employees and
all. Now the question of the COM
missions control of all these is broad
and serious one. But it would seem
that if it is important for the
state to have commission to look
into the matter of freight rates and so
adjust them as between shippers,
railroads''and consumers as that there
should be no injustice to any one, it
is equally as important that power
should be lodged somewhere to look
into and prevent, if possible, the ty-
ing up of all freight business to the
great injury,of all the classes above
mentioned. If the commission has
the power to compel railroad to re-
ceive freight and carry the same,
would not the same reasoning create
apower to prevent railroad on cap
tious rulings from making likely the
tying up of its lines and rendering it
unable to carry such or any freight;
or If the folly is on the part of
the employees, to lend the road
such safety and guard as to
make cessation Of business unlike
ly or unnecessary? The STATESMAN
does not contend, that our present COM
mission has such power, but asks the
question should not it or some other
quickly working judicial body be en-
dowed with this power? The state in
a railroad charters~a public highway;
that ha Ctata eriN
pledges that it will be used as such
public highway. the railroad man
ayers enter =. into certain contracts,
population is strung out along the
railroad line acting upon the good
faith ofthe States and railroads con-
tracts, and such population in time
makes contracts-what is the result?
Shall these contracts, the people have
made in good faith, be broken because
of differences between the railroads
and their employees? Shall the COM
merce of whole section controlled by
a railroad bestOpped because the man.
ayers of that road ind some fault
with the omployes or the converse?
Or shall u whole state be threatened
with tieup of its railroad system be-
cause the managers and employees of
one road are at'outs? Talk of damage
to q state by unjust freight rates!
More real loss Of property values fol-
lows one serious railroad strike than
years unjust freight rates would
create. Now, if the state is to control |
her railroads THE SrArEsMAN's po-
sition is this-that in the railroad bus
mess there is no more serious prob |
lem than the maintenance of such |
relations between employer and en-
ploye as will remove the constant |
menace of a tieup in the freight and
passenger business of the state. Should |
the state, keep hands off until actual
violence I shall occur and then
only be expected to act; or
should she not have a
constant power of arbitration, whose
decision'should be binding, and that |
should Immediately step between rail
road employer and employee and de-
eide the equities Of the case? We have
q commission.now appointed, men de-
voting their time exclusively to the
railroad business, upon whom could
this other duty be. placed so we'll as
upon them? Such rule would work
general blessing. 1t would rob
both manager and employee of cap
tiousness, its exercise would then be
called in in few cases, it would pre-.
vent these serious strike losses to
the railroads, the employees and the
people generally, and it would be a
further guarantee of the peaceful and
conduct of the railroad
business of the state.