Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-01-24

rorsst,on in evrry state Of this Union. bat that
thess commi ssions will also be suppIementod ~
3 national commission 80 constituted - 70 "ofk
10 harmony with thsm-'
uscKRAsR or COMMISSIONS.
IN another portion o; this report We resd -
follows - In the year Of 1875, when this comuis-
o,on was created. there wore elevon states nsv-
Ing similar commissions. NOV there are tsS s.
ty-tWo, tho number having douoisd 20 eisns
tne ssstos enacted at tho same tine laws ming
Dssrimsm rates BIZ statute. This feature has
been mainly abandoned. The state os linnois..
tn sboIishins that feature o. nor ~ s,s nst,
tor Of arranging schedules n rates 10 connaed 70
the commissioner. The state OF 3eorKis, IN
creating her commission, ndopteo ossenner
~ the Illinois plan. In these ,So .,ss n;e
10 make schedules OF rates for each sna e'sty
road and power Is given them 70 re'hrain .no
railroad compsAy from exceeding tn,,sS LssoS =
Tbov have maze and enforced their ecneuuies "
rates: both the State and Federal courts nave
sustained the consfitutionaiity OF the ls.S
creating them and imposing this duty upon .n,n'
and In addition TO all that the business OF usns
porfatlon by railroads Is now carried on IN nose
s,stss according TO the best OF our information
with Less friction. less complaint, ana more se,s
faction 70 all parties than In any eIuany ex'on-
sive parts Of the United States where rates arc
not 90 nxed." - .n,s
subtcct In the Cosmopolitan OF January. loSs'
from Abort X. Greene, member Oh the .v III - :.
sion in Kansas This gentleman s.asc xd ise for
commission OF three persons Inc co, nr
mission Is given general supervisors powers osoi
the railway, express, and sleepingcal Sy 20
MES doing business In the siate' III irnads AZ
examine the physical condition Of al rosus a. ~
ienst once each year, and order eucn cnsnges ~
regard 10 station-houses, yards etc, % sncy 80
deem advisable, such Improvements ~ soar
as may be FOE the public good sucn and in
renewals. etc, as may be requtred' enu, ~
abort. 10 Indicate what Is necessary IN uiuoi ~
havs the roads properly fulnl their opnss'iohs
10 the public as common carriefs'
EVIDENCE OF GOOD REsrLrs.
Tho commission has the power 70 fe'iso olu
aa,a ni.h rates. adjust disputes, ana 10 90 anu
nerform the function OF arDitrators pes"oon .io
roads and their patrons After showing .Iss -, -
creation OF a commission has been iohoweu W
good results, Mr.. Green proceeds 70 maAo .no
following statement: ats rulings ana decislons
IN mare Than LOCO cases have been acquiescea
In by the roads the same as tnough .ney nad
been DEGREES Of court. THESE oecisiv a uoa.
win every form ana species OF complaint tnat
have arisen during the construction OF o,VVo
miles. and for several years past In the opera
tion OF 5000 miles OF railroad. Inc most I'M
portant OF these decisions nave peeii those y!
which freight rates have been roadlusted ana
lovered. BY persistent effort the commission
has secured such recogntions In reduction
of rates OF the natural resources OF the otate
thnt its mining and manufacturing interests
mission has always enjoyed, 10 large extent,
tho confidence OF both the people and the rail-
roads, and its work, embodied In It's annual re-
port to the Governor STANDS IN the realm OF
railroad Jurisprudence unchallenged from any
of1cial or rec pectabe source. IL anords con-
venient, iner pensiye, ana satisfactory tribunal
for the adjudication OF the thousand OF yexatious
and Irritating disputes which must necessarily
arise in the operation Of such an extensive sys-
tenn OF roads as now occupy this State. 1t is pop
ular with the people"
From an exhaustive report Of the commission
ers Of Kentucky for 1890 Mr. Tucker read as
follows: "What legislation is needed must de-
pend upon the standpoint from which the sub
ject is viewed. On tho part OF tue railroad II IS
urgei that returns on railroad Investments are
low enough; that competition may be rolled
upon TO keep rates reasonable, and thatno legis-
latlOn on this score Is necessary. IL Ia evident
that such plea IL not well taken as 10 local rates
and the constant tendency 10 CONSOLIDATION aud
com oinstion between railways IS suincient TO
show that the laws Of competition Will not al
wGys obtain even Of tho centres OF trade sixty
four OF COL companies reporting 10 the
Interstate Commerce Commission control
04.32 per cent. of the entire railroad
mileage Of the country. II it be true thai pre-
sent rates, taken IA a whole, may be said 10 De
reasonable, the necessity OF public control re-
mains to protect the people against arbitrary
and excessive rates where competition Tails by
reason of com bination. But the statement that
present rates are unremunerative cannot Do al
lowed 70 go wholly unchallenged." The COM
mission then proceeds to show, In many In
stances where the percentage claimed by the
railroad people upon their investments, that II
is based upon the capitalization or watering
estimates, instead Of the actual amount in-
vested.
PooR's MANUAL FIGURES.
Poors Manual shows that the capitalization OF
the railroads In the United States built from
1880 TO 1888 Is double thei- actual cost, and
confirms similar statements elsewhere mado
showing that this proportion between cost and
Capitalization holds good for the past fifteen
years.
Mr.. Poor figures "the total average capitalize
tion at the close of the fiscal year OF 1889 at
s6O,309 per mile, and the total mileage
operated at 160, 544. Estimating the real CAPT.
tai expended at 100000 per mile (which ~ g
low estimate) II appears that the foliage OF the
United States should be based on valuation OF
s4,Sl6, 100000 instead OF s9,6S2.24s,096 as
IL is."
Mr.. Tucker said that the whole sum and sub
stance OF the claim by the railroad Investors that
they s.ere not getting reasonable percentage
on their investments, Is based upon the idea that
they ought to receive percentage upon money
that they have not actually and In fact invested.
capitalization Is but another word for water
ing"
MIR Tucker, being asked as to the efficiency Of