The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-06-17

pick problem presented ~,
solved sa;,es. the question of moving : ben
freight greater distance for re = ton d
OF money than any other c ~, less sun
passenger service. in speed co rasry. 0n
larlty and safety has been tbo " y, reeu.
of the world. Let Legis,ature e .aaa,mratioa
and the public give fair sunn.. Tue presa
great industry. helping to con rppr' TO this
o. 20 destroy. and tie railroads ' g instead
'ca VIII make such progress a. ,s vi Amer.
admiration and praise from evon W." ~ Wing
friendly critics. even their IN.
TO Prevent General pemor
inougn the present outlook is f.. ' a
encouraging, and the recent doa ,ai lrOn
the Supreme Court declares ,h e.'son Of
tempts at uniform action arc i ~, al at
seek for no legislation that w; l1tsai' We
rates or add to the burden of tho 'a u
puDiic. The proposed pooling hi, senefa
introduced in the United States sSs ay
Dy senator Foraker of Ohm moS senate
the best sort of breakwater 10 ', a at
general decentralization. II l. " prevent
means thus far devised to eco, ;ne Best
Com OF agreement between cnn'. nee
iines SO that all shippers NAV secura pe'las
reasonable and uniform rates. IN 'u@
tional Legislature of ten years ago t ths aa
cesslty for uniform action regard; ne
ways was recognized. and this mnas 'a't
only taking up the question where N rev.
gress laid it down and carrying rho ~, oOa'
latlon a step further. To hold thpSo @slS
critics together and to give the noon p'vP
full benefit (as | have shown oe ,as
Dursement reaching nearly twaIvo uS
dred million year, We must got auu
a uniform management. The work of ~.
railways must. in short, be carried 'us
with uniformity and method. Tbs ~
best be done by the several railway s .au
TENS working as they do. Under ,ha , %S
as proposed. when the rates ore snaN.
agreed upon by the competing roads aa,
passed by the Interstate Commerce ca an'
mission as reasonable and lust NOW.
should be given TO the roads 70 enfa,s.
them. This is reasonable and f,r a.
mand, and one that Congress shonld y,
once grant.
The proposition which has been succo.,
ed by some theorists for en,argpr n.
Interstate Commerce Commission and
permitting it to initiate rates would no
fatal mistake, and a system based upOn
such an idea vicious in the extreme. Tia
railways not only have the ability. bu,
the facility to make rates. 1t is expert
work, requiring judgment and thorousb
knowledge of all local conditions. To
have the rate making power removed 10
Washington and absolutely fixed by
commission, no matter how able or how
honest, would work incalculable injury.
1t would be far better for the Government
to purchase the railways and assume the
whole responsibility than for the Govern.
ment practically to undertake the regula.
ton and management of the property Of
private individuals. This is undoubtelly
the most mischievous proposition thus far
evoked by demagogues and anarchists fOr
the wiping out of the capital invested in
railway enterprises. 1t would simply be
uncomfortable, and lead to rate comp,ica.
tons heretofore unheard of. even in our
present imperfect system. The POSSIBLE
ties of corruption would be tremendous;
the pulling and hauling at Washington
for favored rates for special communities
would bring the whole system down with
t0e weight of is own folly and imprac.
tieability.
Wou1i Beneft the Whole Country
In the bill referred to. the pubic. the
shipper. the railway employe and the rail-
ways have all been fairly considered II
it becomes law the results must be ben.
eficial to the whole country because our
railways penetrate all parts of the reput-
lie. Congress should. therefore, approach
it in spirit of fairness and justice. and
not with temper and political prejudice.
1t rs an honest effort TO adjust satsfac'
torily difficulties that have grown up b!
reason of the magnitude of our transpor.
tation industry and the newnesS of our
common country.