The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-10

they give rail mills and others. Yet,
whether national revenue, credit. labor or
commerce be considered, tho railways are
the largest factor in the public purposes
and results.
For Illustration: The existing import
tariff may be justly increased on some
articles by the schedule now pending,
but IL the railways should fractionaliy
advance their rates on imported articles
IL would be characterized as unJustifiahle.
although both increases might bo proper,
especially in Instances IN which privately
reduced transportation rates perhaps
wholly or partially neutralized in
creased import rates.
However that may be- II the govern
ment controlled both the railway and
customs charges, IL would inilexibiy and
uniformly charge and retain both sched-
ules as published. There would BIO no
other justihable governmental course,
and it is equally Just when the railways
collect one OF those charges IL, on the
other hand, IL is better that only the
transportation element of commerce he
capricious concealed and preferential, bo-
cause that condition Is a desirable requi-
site of so-called competition, should not
rival customs collectors also make differ
ent import charges at their competing
ports of entry. Why, further, should not
the whisky tax be lower at Peoria than
in North Carolina Why should not
able Offices like New York 10 daily users
of the mails than to infrequent letter
writers.at small Offices conducted at q
lossg And why should letter 1postage
be the same from New Nora 10 both
Brooklyn and san Franciscog
/. Next IL Is widely claimed that trans
portation Is u governmental FUNCTION
delegated in part 10 ,orplrat ons, but
remaining subject To nation u ,u1trol.
Upontthat further gri una rail- way COM
panies seem entitled to GnOso cas- )La5
delegations of power which would bc
necessary TO enable the government to
secure the observance OF Its llke charges
under like circumstances.
While railways thus argue that govern
mental sand private railway policy should
be alike national, public, impartial and
enforceable they also concede that cor
porate as well as governmental railway
management should be subject to prol,r
national supervision.
Government Ownership.
If the government now owned the rail-
ways. the disquieting defaults of interest
on their bonds, the lessened returns on
their legitimate shares, the constant inn
pairments of gross and net revenues,
especially from false physical condition
and safety as well as TO injuro their fiscal
obligations everywhere ana those disturb
ing conditions would doubtless have been
ing national corrective action as much as
the other financial urgencies TO which he
asked consideration. III such railway
rctrogression nevertheless continued under
governmental management, il would have
been finally necessary 10 meet II by
direct appropriations or by Il vcrting
other government incomes to sue deficits.
Either of these courses would DO more ex
pensive To all the people, al mors unJui t
in application and effect l..ail O. Iarge
and maintain adequate rates pa5ib . by
the actual users of the railways
Railway owners and managers are con.
frontcd with the same problems but have
been denied adequate powers To meet
them. Therefore they ask governmental
sanction 10 "a policy itself could not e-
cape from. To answer that railway pro-
prletors and managers must take care Of
themselves, yet not permit them TO do so
legally, Is the logic Of theory or hostility,
is not just and is not applied To any
other national interest.
AS the United States do not own any
railways, these premises must be sus-
tained by proofs drawn from other nations.
In 1874 Switzerland invited Austria.
Hungary, Belgium, Germany, Italy aud
the Netherlands to confer toucnIng COM
petitive international railway atarlffs, In
order that like rates and bills Of lading
might prevail via their routes and from
tiers. FURTHER conferonc -, in 1873 1SSl
and 1856 IN which private companies
participated, considered the competitions
of the Mediterranean and North sea and
the Danube, Rhine and other rivers, as
we'll as that OF their own RAILWAYS. re-
sulting in an agreement at Berne in Octo-
ber, 1890, which was subsequently ratified
by all the participating nations and made
effective January ], 1898. Under that
compact undue competition was ended
not only governmental, but private rights
x.1 nIrh st.h afhh
reasonable charges were announced upon
which 10 base competitive Iational and
international traffic. .interchangse. Had
those governments and their lriyate rail.
ways acted upon the erroneous theories
of inexperienced and hostile opponents Of
American railways, they would not have
thus associated or agreed, but would have
fought the carrying struggle To finish.
Private corporations would have be, n
crippled by their own governments, aud
the latter would then have continued
their strifes, depleted their several
national revenues and involved thor
treasury budgets. The railways would
have deteriorated and commercial insta-
blities and Determinations in rates
would have continued or Increased. Can
there be any question which Is the juster
and wiser public policy?
The faults of the Interstate act and uf
the Supreme Court decision should be
brings as wise and permanent legislation
as that concluded aJ Berne. Otherwise,
their fruits will grow moro grievous TO
fair traders and carriers. and will more
incite and less regulate tho evils Of con-
cealed determinations, which no laws
and no railway unity have ever yet COR
rected in any country, except by pools.
Interstate Commissioners Schoonmaker
said:
"The lack of affirmative legal authority
for such associations, the bad faith often
exhibited by some of their members, and
the inability either TO restrain or punish
delinquency have operated IN another
tondoncy-the tendency toward cJnsolda-
tion. -
Moreover, should pools he authors zed by
law, and be thereafter found 10 antago.
nlze tho public interest prompt rereal CT
amendments. or cnlargements oi the
powers of the Interstate Commerce Com.
missioner would protect the people.
The argument Ut these articles Is rot
that legislation should sanction n past
railway policy which may be finally ad.
Judged I'm conflicU with law, but IL holds
that Congress was well advised In 1886 To
f.,,, - IA