The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-03-27
RAILROADS ARE
IN A CORNER
Decision 10 the Traos-NisSOuri ASSO-
citation Rate Case Par Reaching.
WHAT WILL III THE EFFECT
On the Coast and 10 Astoria Things That
Night Have Beea DOae In the
Years Gone BY.
WILL BE THE EFFECT

Tha final result Of the mistake Of
Shelby NJ. culi0n's life. when. as Uni
ted States senator from Illinois. In
response 20 the pressure II the granger
element who wanted an some way
60 slap in the face the railroads which
had built up that state. he secured
the approval. February Z. 1857. Of that
travesty Of American law. the inter
state commerce nni. with its anu-pool-
Ing. and long and short haul clauses,
has Just transpircd The latest decis-
ION OF the United States supreme court
annulllng the trans Missouri irafiic
agreement. has brough, Rbou, the dis
solution Of all railway associations.
well known railroad man yesterday
said that the orcgonian had well stat
nj that it In not the maintenance OF
high or iow rates that CAUSES CONNER
cial disturbances. but Il Ia the rapid
f,uc,uation in rates which dcmoralIze
business,
The history OF the past has com
pleteiy demonstrated that unrestr'c,ed
competition in rates has done more 10
completely upset all business arrange
ments than all Of the pools which ever
existed. Railroads need protection in
their business. as much M does the
dear public Had Senator culiom been
a practical uafIic man. or had he
listened 90 tho suggestions made AT
the time or the passage OF his biii'
by wise railroad managers. who were
as anxious TO do justice 20 both the
railroads and the public az himself.
and had he listened particularly TO
the advice Of that Nestor OF them
all. f. p. Ripley, now president Of the
great Santa Fe system. and the first
one. under the late decision. 10 with
draw from the association. he would
have Incorporated In his bin clauses
similar TO those In tha English rail-
way clearing house act. The railroads
would thus have been protected, a.
we'll az the people The roads, under
the supervision of the commission ere
atcd by the interstate commerce bill
would have been permitted 10 agree
upon and maintain rates that would
have brought fair returns 20 railroad
owners and have given the best ser
vice at the least possible rates TO the
public.
Had such a reasonable bill been
passed. Il stands 90 reason that the
terrible slaughter OF railroad porperty
and tremendous LOSSES to the people
at home and abroad, whose all was
invested In stocks and bonds, In the
past few years, might have been
avoided. and perhaps even the great
panic OF 1898 itself averted. Had not
the case instituted under the inter-
state commerce law against the trans
Missouri Association had basis upon
which 10 have been brought. II is more
than likely that the supreme court
would never have hah occasion to
take action upon that question as well
as the corr'elative one OF trusts. Now.
Just ON the eve OF the greatest pros
perity this country has seen In many
years after a great struggle TO sue
cessfully establish associations TO main
tain reasonable rates and protect the
property OF the farmer the merchant
and the railroad company. the whole
fight must come on again, at cost
Of millions to the country, affecting
every merchant and farmer IN the
land Truly, we are a prosperous and
wide-awalSe nation"
The question has been asked what
effect will this action have upon the
far West, and particularly Oregon
and Astoria. The consensus OF opin-
ion Of those who have studied the Qies-
ton is that II general rate war fol-
lows. and many prominent manafers
think that 1t will, the competition fol
the time being viii bring some little
advantage to the few larger shippers
will unsettle values generally; but a.
| far as Astoria Is concerned, may IN
duce such competition for her trade
as win effect better arrangements with
| the new railroad than could be other