New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-03
SOME STRANGE VAGAkIES.
JOSEPH NIMMO REPLIES TO CARROLL d.
WRIGHTs OUTGIvINGs

SENSE PURE AND SIMPLE" RAILROAD pool
ING THE ANrITHEsIs or SOCIALISM COY
ORNAMENT REGULATION or WAGES
SURELY STATE SOCIALISM
IBy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRBUNE.I
Washington. Jan. I'm paper recently read
before the American Economic Association by
Carroll u. Wright. chief of the Department Of
Labor and Superintendent Of the Eleventh Cen
the transportation question. that official
made some statements rs To the socialistic ten
denotes Of the Railroad Pooling BIZ ard other
matters relating To rarold transportation which
in some quarters are regarded as decidedly SEN
sational. Among those vino critcisc Colonel
Wright mos severely is Joseph Ninlmo. Jr'
whose study Of the railroad problem for more
than forty years qualities him to speak with au-
thority on the subject. Mr.. Nimmo said to-day:
I am astonished that man ~ Colonel Nr'gh'
experience should express himself upon a sun
iect which h. has never investigated and which ne
does not understand. Socialism. Why pooling 80
called. or, more properly speaking the apporuo"l
ment Of competitive traffic. Is the very antthesS OF
Socialism II is both ostcnsibly and actually an at
terlpi by tn, railroads At elf-governlncnt ~ T.
pels the very idea OF State interference. II Is
strictly analogous to tradcs-unonisa. The trades
union is p method OF collective bargA1'ng Tor hs
constituency. Instead Of acting separately ana CUT
ting each others throats In the struggle oil cohPe
tition laborcrs associate Themselves together ]"
union and thus protect themselves against them
selves This Is just and comrendahlc. In "orn'
they regulate competition among themselves
through assoca lion. The time cam when TN iaporer
saw as the whole world now sees. that conP'u-
ton instead of being the life Of trade may As 'ruy
be the death OF trade. The forces oil the axe nav
become 50 intense that competitors destroy e''n
other unless competition IS regulated through as-
lam
VOL that is iust what the lessons OF experience
have forced the railroads to. Their restrc'e' COM
petition led TO the destruction OF airoan prop'''S'
10 many unjust Determinations ana to con'i'e'''"'
disorder Independent rate-rnaEinG SCI inc 'p,"-
n,erce # this country in confusion. That Is mus
putahle history.
Ga tho Interstate Commerce act is based upon the
DEVELOPED necessity for agreements among railT'd'
companies as t. rates. Furthermore, that det p''-
yidcs that agreed rates shall not be raised 'i ~"
cred without due notice In n word necessity man"
a law and the lawmaker acknowledged that IA" OF
necessity Such law has been proved by the stern
Lessons Of experience 10 bc the soundest ana most
henenccnt sort Of statute law. hut the '"mPi"''H
and the commercial classes also realized as the r.
sui, of a long and rough experience. mat 'o"p'"-
tive rate agreements cannot be maintained untl an
other step Is taken and that Is 90 agree as 10 'h'
share NJ the competitive traffic which each shall 'e-
cure In the absence OF such agreements rat"-cut-
ting continued In It's many and ahominahle FORMS
o,4 ,,e nh trouble ~ unjust discrimination ana
commercial disorder constantly broke forth mus
tho lawmaker has been for,ci 10 recogniz" the
bcnencence Of this second law Of self-ooniroi de-
veloped by experience. and that - what - er-
roneously termed pooling
So sclf-control expresses Itself FIRST 90 the rate
agreement and second in the agreement as 10 tho
share 81 the traffic which each competitor shall
secure. This prevents tho weak COMPANIES from
being crowded TO the wall n also prevents the
ftoff han he
small shippers. ard u prevents unjust di-crminA-
lions AMI that disorder which an unrestrained
competition Invariably produces. Experience also
proves that Il does not prevent ur gradual f1il
- rates under the o,erppwcrin Influence ~ com
mcrclal competition which alwafs holds th' rail-
roads down for the tendency OF rates has been
constantly downward during the last thirty years.
All this Is self-goYcrumcnt taught by the les
sons Of experience. and. a. said. u IL the WY
Aniithesis Of State control state socialism.
This IL not theory nor the deduction - theory
II has rebuked all sorts - priou reasoning
II II simply the dearly bought Teachings - eN-
perirncc The men In public lie who have been
forced to these conclusions as 20 the conduct ~
transportation have com" To u BY conformity 70
sir Gladsionc's rule 81 submitting themselves 20
the lessons OF experience" The Hon John II
Reagan. 81 Texas. for many years Representa-
tive In Congress and Senator " the United
States vigorously opposed agreements as 20 the
the anti-poolng clause. hut after he became
Railroad Commissioned OF the STATE Of Texas
he discovered his mistake. and. honest man that
ne is confessed a. Many other men In pubic
NE have gone through the same experience.
carefully observed the practical workings OF pool
Ing for ten years before. an officer Of the Gov
ernment ] Endorsed H. ! aston'shod beyond
measure that Colonel Wright should have ~
pressed himself 80 freely upon this subject
have known him for many years. ana Know
perfectly we'll that he has never investigated the
great transportation question Of this country and
that he has never contributed an idea to its sou-
ton | say this with regret. for my personal re-
latlons with him have always been pleasant
Colonel Wright goes say that tnis bill rs
demanded AT the Instance OF the shippers ana the
railroads Of the country" Well. that. ! think Is
mdnS go1 The Two Transporter
and the general public Inc prihoipa' DoniI n ~, 10
principle Involved In 1t. Then Colonel Wright says
Its passage rs being aided By a powerful lobby.
Now ! don't believe there ls any foundation what
ever for that assertion. and / don't believe any
thing could be- gained In Congress In that way
the passage OF this bill In the House OF Representa-
lives. where II passed by a majority OF ht VI sN
don't believe that hOnc5ter OF trler men Walk me
face OF Gods footstOo Colonel Wrghts words
cast II reflection upon those gentlemen "hch ] , pc
lleye to be unjust Noyerthclessi he declares that
the BIZ Pen%s IN 4S s enphGay sSin' to
be nonsense pure ard simple ! know The gen
ard their predecessors who have considered SIM
lar bills during the last fifteen years Know they
have studied the subject iaboriously ana cohsh'ISI
II conscicntiousiy and with sincere desire To 90
their duty During these years have aided SOM
OF Them officially and unOficially In their invcstl
cations I feel confident that II Colonel Nrights
aasserton that the pending bill is state socialism
nIre and simple" were brought 10 their attention
their reply TO him would be IF that Is 80 we are
a very stupid lot OF men, or you are talking non
sense. , 80, --,,- -
Then Colonel Wright says: The bill provides Tor
a great trust, with the Government OF the United
sfates as the trustee. This IL not only untrue, Dut
4, is ridiculous The bill provides for sustaining
railroad indviduasm on the basis OF seitrestraini
10 The pubic interests and II provides for ~ SORT
az Cove rnment trustceshp or any guardianship what
eyer exc.pt such protection as the Government Il
hound 10 extend to every indvidual-the funda,
rhtac, ~ nopular government. Colonel
rzna The Inlnrsinte lOmmcrc-