The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-07-24
Excess Of Excess Of
exports imports
end,r



The suit which has been instituted in
| California in the name Of the United
States Government. under the inter
state commerce law, against the Southern
Pacific railroad and all connecting lines
with which 1t has traffic connection, 10
| have the contracts for interchange Of
| freight and passengers broken up and
cancelled. as giving the Southern Pacific
a monopoly In the business, which there
! by restraints free trade and commerce
| between the States. may be authorized
by the interstate commerce law. We
express no opinion upon that point. be
cause we have not examined the law but
we have no doubt it does authorize the
suit. because the inspiration OF that
statute lay in the Populist desire TO
interfere at every possible point with the
freedom of commerce. and put shackles
upon trade wherever foolish men Vainly
imagined they could. by statute law. con
troll the operations Of trade and make il
put money into the pockets of men who
had not worked for that money. The
law was drawn and enacted to en-
barraSs busine as much as possible. and
We don't see why it's authors and those
who voted for it should not have placed
this special embargo on business. as well
as many others which are manifestly
there.
But the whole genius and inspiration
OF this thing are radically wrong. The
best interests Of the country are best
subserved when railroad companies are
allowed TO make any contracts between
themselves
interests to make. one Of the chief aims
or the interstate commerce act was 10
break UP and prevent pooling" bv
railroads.. These pools are nothing but
agreements between competing lines by |
which they make an equitable division of |
the business and thus prevent a ruin |
Gus competition that first breaks down |
one, and then puts the country at the |
mercy Of the other. 1t has caused moth |
ing but turmoil and disaster from the |
DAY 1t was enacted. until now the de-
mand has become so universal for the
repeal OF this provision of the act that IL
seems highly probable Congress will re-
peal 1t at this session. The principle bv
which this subject IS to be governed, and
the only principle by which it can be
adjusted by the companies interested as
hey may find that their interests are
best subserved. The old idea WAS that
the more separate railroad lines we
nave, the cheaper and better will be the
service that the public receives. and the
suit on which we have commented and
he interstate commerce act In this par
ocular are legacies left us by TINT old
dea. Experience, however. has taught
many OF us, and Is teaching the rest. that
ne ldea Is a dangerous fallacy. As rail-
Dads are united under one management
ne cost or operating them land. there
ore. the money to be raiseO Is dinin-
she'd Again, the way to secure reduc-
ion Of freight and fares is not TO Mace =
ron bands upon the railroad, but TO {
cave It's business to act under the law y
1 supply and demand, as all other en- :
ioyments operate Strange as it may G
'und IN this day Of confused ideas. ex- J
ellence has nevertheless demonstrated q
nat when railroad is left to itself its p
ttural tendency is towards the reduc- Z
on OF freights and fares: and for this -
'Nous reason. The road wants L. max. o
/ the money II can. TIE cheaper it's 4
eights and fares, the more business 90
Will do, and every man knows that Ct
oney il made not by doing a small p
'siness at big profit but a big BUSH =,
IS at small profit. The road will S,
erefore, If left alone reduce its charges
The smallest sum that will pay ex- 81
nses Of operating and make a reason r
lie return on the money involved. The in
opie OF Richmond have a practical de- al
onstration OF the truth of these re- sn
irhs before their eyes. Fifteen wears ~
o the roads which now constitute the co
uthern Railway system We're a dozap r.,
more separate corporations. all mill. L.
against each other and run az great ro
pense. They have been consolidated rel
o one system, and now the Richmond col
rchant travels and sends his goods PEE
over the vast territory that they in do.
sect without let or hindrance. and the jot
'fseS are greatly reduced from what Ing
y were. NE
> go. - the
course. If the interstate commeroo vii
iorbids the contracts that the Sontb tor
facihc has made. nothing can no ~ ~
against the law being enforced Pr, VIII
serves as another lesson to nro,,e VA
egregious folly in which that Law g. uilT
nded - Va W