The morning call., 1892-03-23
HOW NOT TO DO IT.

The answer of Railroad Commissioner
Rea to Mr.. Leeds suggestion that the rail-
road tariff for carrying wheat in California
should bs made to approximate to the rail-
road tariff for moving wheat in Kansas is
precisely what was expected. The Commits
sioner admits that our tariff is not what it
should be; admits that il might be lowered
to advantage admits that it is the duty of
the Railroad Commission to lower ii Of its
own mere motion without any specific ap-
plication from shippers; admits that the
commission has in the past been deceived
by miscellaneous of facts and sophistres
emaDating from the railroad company, and,
after all these admissions, concludes that
the Railroad Commission is powcrless in the
matter, though it would not be if such action
was necessary. Such monotOnous non
seQnitur has seldom been head. 1t beats
anything 10 the record of the circumlocu-
ton Office.
But it will serve a useful purpose. If, in
stead of showing that the Railroad Commits
sion ought to do a thing which it had re-
solved not to do, and attempting to excuse
its dereletion of duty by the subterfuge
that Transportation tariffs should be re-
vised with caution, intelligence and impair
TALLY" Mr.. Rea had simply said that he
had been elected TO serve the Southern
Pacific, and that he was going to be true to
his inclination, he would merely have added
one more name to the list Of Railroad Com
missioners who have betrayed the people to
make friends at Fourth and Townsend.
Nothing would have been gained by that. AS
it is the gentleman has unconsci0usly taught
the people the lesson that no railroad
law will be of any practical avail so long as
voters allow themselves to be led by the nose
by the managers of the railroad company.
To reform transportation charges two things
are necessary: First, law creating an or
ganiZation to stand between shippers and
carriers, and TO curb the greed of the latter;
! and second, an organization which VIII carry
out the purpose of its creation. The people
of California created the organization. but
they did not provide that it should be indie
pendent of the railroad, and thus their
work was in vain. The power which eoerced
voters TO send Stanford to the Senate NULL
fed the law creating the Railroad Commits
sion.
Here is where Mr. Rea's usefulness comes
in. The lesson to be learned from his homily
is that so long as voters accept the dictation
Of the Southern Pacific in politics railroad
/ commissions will be farce. 1t isimportant
| that people should learn, mark and inwardly
digest that. When Mr.. Stanford was last
| before the people, at the time the Legisla-
| tnre of 1891 was chosen, many good citizens
| did not reflect that his success involved the
election OF set of State officials who would
! be bound to take the side of The railroad in
opposition to the people on the subject Of
transportation.
1t is really not worth while to follow the
Commissioner in the long-winded sophis-
tries by which he tries to jus tify his refusal
to listen to the peoples complaints of
freight rates which cripple trade, hamper
industry and retard the settlement OF the
| State. He must know that the mercantle
community believes that these complaints
are well founded. and that his duty Is to
hear them patiently, and. IL he finds that
wrong is being done, to exert the power
with which he is clothed to stop the wrong.
Instead OF doing SO he exudes lot OF rig
amarole aboutth the care which must be taken
lest In attempting to cure the wrongs Of
California the commission should iHfllct
some trlfilng injury on the interests of the
railroad. He talks as il he had been elected
to see that the railroad should pocket all
the money IN sizht-which, in one point of
view, is really the case, though it Is indis
Greet in Jir Rea to let it appear so plainly
Concede all that he claims-that freight