The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-04-10

raedfcteu. 1he big roads are anxious to
maintain rates, but the little roads, atrug-
Cling for business, may at any moment
Drcak loose With cuts and slashes. If they
do, the big roads Will DO compelled to meet
them. Once q rnte war is started no ono
can foresee tho end. This decision there
fore hangs liko n cloud over tho business
situation.
Tho supreme court will hear arguments
on tho Joint Traffic association case next
October. 1t is to tho courts decision in
this case tho railroads aro looking for re-
lief. They even hopo tho court will reverse
Its former decision, or ut least materially
modify 1t. Nothing is likely to DO dono
by congress toward amending tho trust
law or permitting railroad pooling by net
OF congress till after tho supreme court de-
cides tho Joint Traffic case. This means
that tho whole matter will have to go over
to next winter. Meanwhile the possibility
OF rate wars, tho caution and timidity In
railroad circles, the fears of investors that
dividends will disappear, arc all retarding
the restoration of prosperity.
A Difficult Problem.
Tho problem is to find means of pre-
venting railroads combining to put the
rates too high, and at the same time to
avert rate wars, which arc ruinous to ono
OF tho greatest industries and employing
agencies Of tho country.
According to tho supreme courts deci-
sion, labor unions cannot combine for the
purpose OF raising wages, reducing the
hours OF labor, preventing unjust dis
charges or limiting the number of appren-
tices. In fact, it is doubtful If mnnufac-
tuners could sign wage scale or make any
agreement with their employees as an or
gained body without violating the law.
Justice White pointed all this out very
clearly in his dissenting opinion. To rem
edy this state of things Senator Allen of
Nebraska has introduced bill to amond
tho antitrust law so rs to permit labor or
CARNATIONS to make agreements for their
common good. The situation In short is
not satisfactory one from any standpoint.
Public opinion is doubtless strong and
righteous against trusts and combinations
which put up the price Of tho neccssarics
of life. But SO many interests are involved
In tho application of the law that COM
pleto ovcrhauling of the system is made
necessary.
Tho Hawaiian Question.
No doubt exists here that President Nc
Kinley will favor the annexation of Ha-
vail when the time comes for action on
this question. Tho president has not rs
yet openly declared his intentions. But he
huo OolhC very tcuI IL hlDlSIcr f1uUCn
and Attorney General Smith of Hawaii,
who recently called upon him to talk of
the proposed annexation, the president,
without committing himself, talked in
very encouraging manner. All his ques-
lions put to these gentlemen indicated that
his sympathies were with them, and that
when the decisive moment should come his
corporation could be looked for. The
members of the cabinet with whom have
talked coincide in this view of the presi
dents attitude, but they say Mr.. Mckin-
lcy's first object is to get tho tariff bill out
of tho way. He wants nothing to interfere
with that. The Hawaiian question, tho
Cuban problem, the monetary commission,
international bimetallism, everything that
can be deferred till noxt winter, the presi-
dent wants now to push aside that there
may be q clear road for tho tariff. 1t is
well known to be the policy of the Rcpub-
lican leaders to discourage everything else
in tho Legislative line till the Dingley bill
shall have been put upon the statute booka