The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-13
TIE RAILROAD BILL.

The bill for constitutional amendment,
drawn By Mr.. Leeds and introduced by
Gesford of Napa into the Senate. has the
merit Of being clear TO the meanest capacity.
L begins by repeating the provisions OF the
constitution creating railroad commission;
Il eonfers upon the Legislature the power
of fxing fares and freights, and uHtli 1t
does so it provides that the passenger rates
sh3fl not exceed two cents mile and
freight rates shall he those setdown in 1.-THE
California Distance Tariff" which is q
schedule based on the mileage rates per ton
prevailing in Kansas. The effect of the
passage of the bill would be to cause a gen.
eral reduction in railroad charges; hence it
is assumed that it will meet with opposition
from railroad members ard support from all
others In the Senate the bill was referred
TO the Committee on Constitutional Amend
ments, of which Earl Of Alameda is chair
man, and in which there is supposed to be
majority favorable TO the bill; in the House
it was referred TO the Committee on COrpo-
ratious, of which Alvord is chairman This
latter reference can only be explained on
the theory that the chairman of the Com
mittee on Constitutional Amendments is
Schlesinger, whom the friends of the bill
were afraid to trust. AS he has himself
introduced a resolution providing for the
abolition Of the Railroad Commission, he
NAV have been unjustly suspected.
When it was proposed 20 re- empower the
Legislature 10 fix railroad rates it was OBJ
jected that a body Of 40 men could not
undertake job requiring such a knowledge
of details Il mas been said that rates Of
freight are governed by multiplicity OF
factors. such as grades, curves, volume Of
business, cost Of fuel and lab0rs return
treeAts, etc., and that it requires special
education 10 understand how these various
elements enter into the cost Of transporta-
ton. Bat the same objection will apply to
any statute involving details, such, for in
stance, IS q tariff. and no one agrees that
The making Of a tariff is beyond the COM
ne,encv of a legislative body. Such intTi-
cate measures of legislation are shaped in
committee, and the committee acquires the
knowledge required for its task by the TAX
Jag If testimony OF experts. When the COM
l1itJee has framed its measure the body 10
which il reports usually adopts its e0nclu-
sl0ns through q belief that il has reached
,Iem after exhaustive study. II IS not
expected that either branch OF the Cali
fJrnla Legislature viii spend day after
day in training a schedule Of railroad
c.assiG alton or in deciding how much
O carload Of potatoes should be charged
from ogden to San Francisco. 1t is
assumed that If the people ratify the
amendment abolishing the Railroad COM
IA ssion special committee will be raised
IL each house to take evidence on the actual
,ast of transportation. and that each COM
nittee " ben it has digested its work will
report a bill to the house to which it belongs.
That a legislative body is competent to fix
freights and fares Is proved by the late ac-
ton OF the Austrian Reichsrath establishing
tile zone system. The measure then adopted
Involved knowledge of all the questions Of
ttan which would arise in adjusting a
railroad schedule in this STATE; The Austrian
roads vary ~ grade, curves, volume Of
business, return freights. etc. as widely as
our roads DO. But the Reichsrath vas not
pa Y ed t. solve the problem committed to
il. ana il nut in force an official tariff Of
rates which, while greatly relieving ship
pers and travellers, actually Increased the
gross and net profits of the railroads. The
zaue plan has answered so we'll that it is
Ike to 5e adopted all over Germany. and
possibly in otter countries where the dis
trbutiln Of population is uniform from
giyei centeTs
The objections which have proved fatal
to tIe Railroad Commission were stated
when the new constitution was adopted.
Disco ming minds foresaw that the commits
sion would fall under the control Of the
rail otd, and would be Of no use as an arbi-
TRAITOR between the corporation and the pee
Die. as the English board is, and the Rail-
road Commission in Massachusetts. But
tie monopoly protested to be opposed to it,
ana the Uot very judeious majority " the
constitutional convention en- bodied it in
thei- indrument without too close a study
Of its probable working, Thirteen years
expe-ienGe has satisfied every one that it has
operated b. juriously TO tile public interest.
No 5rpofsH1n with such extensive powers
as those welded by the Southern Pacific
IS the better Tor being uncontrolled. That
company T9uld have been better of in
many ways # the commissions Of the past
had faithf II performed the duties they
we're designed to discharge.