People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1897-10-07
The Railroad Problem,

the discrimination and extOrtiOn 10
freight rates by railroad companies,
Was Commended b. the adoption OF
Resolutions Covering Those points ID
the Union Labor county Convention
OF Sumner county Ia 1888. The de
mand Was for law empowering the
Board of Railway Commissioners to
tixa schedule Of freight charges for
all The railroads 10 the state.
Such was che prevailing idea upon
which the Union LABOR party in 1888
aud the PeOple's party in 1890 made
their campaign.
William Campbell, representative
from Stafford county, and chairman
OF the committee On railroads, intro
duced and champiOned in the session
OF 1891, bill containing d maximum
rate schedule, and which bill gave t.
the railroad commissioners ample
power to change the rates aud to pre-
vent discrimination as between III
dividualS and between different local
titles.
The POpuIiSt conventions since that
date have demanded maximum rail-
road legislation, with no apparent
def1nite understanding as TO what was
Intended
Mr.. Campbell, the autIOr Of the
Maximum Bill, was for four terms
member Of the house, and against
whom the charge OF inSencerlGy UT
dishonesty has never been made, in a
recent interview made use Of the fol-
lowing language:
IL made the mistake Of my life
wnen | inserted ia tue railroad bill
presented in the house In 1891, a maxi.
hum schedule. IL has furnished d
theme for campaign Orators, and be
come bug6ear W many people since.
the fact is, that The schedule wds
simply inserted as guide 10 the com
misS0ners, VINO were empowered u
change it at their pleasure, and upJL
proper showing. Where The mis-
understanding arises is in The fact
that the people believe that maxi
mum schedule fixes the rates. Tits
is not the intent Of such a bill. Ihe
idea WAS at that time to Tx the rate
high enough So that the railroad COM
misSonerS would have ample ieewdy
to adjust rates and remove the dis.
examinations. As the general under
standing has it am not in favor OF a
maximum freight rate bill. do MT
believe that l65 men Representing l65
localities can establish an absolute
stationary schedule of rates. Discrim-
nations and injuStices would surrey
creep in. | wish that such thing
could be done, however. But As Il
citlzen Of Kansas | realize that such
a bill satisfactory 10 the many con
flcting and diversified interests could
net be fran d."
FOn the above declaration made
by the author Of the Maximum
Freight Rate Bill we learn that the
object sought was TO secure redress
by extending the power Of the rail-
road commissioners and enabling
them to fix the rates and prevent dis
elimination.
Man states have laws enabling tn
commissioners To fix rates. Among
those states are Alabama. California.
Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Min.
neSOla, Missouri, New Hamps hire,
North Dakota. South Carolina and A
number Of others.
Some fOlr or five years ago the Ne
braska legislature passed maximum
freight rate bill reducing the rates
about nineteen per cent. That law
is not in force, having been in litiga
tiOn since the effort to enforce IT.
provisions.
Most of the states that have en-
powered the commissioners TO fix
rates have much lower rates than the
maximum law would give Nebraska
were f enforced.
Should the legislature enact a max
imum law that would fix the rates an
s0lutely, the probability is that after
five or six years litigation the U. S
supreme court would hold the rates
fixed to be unreaSOna)ly low. and
nothing could then be done until the
next meeting of the legislature,
If the board of commissioners were
given annie power including ju1icial
p; wer to enforce their own or ers and
with the right for parties litigant to
appeal direct to the supreme court
RELIEF would b. obtained as has been
in other states that have adopted a
sin ar course.
We need not wait for the Nebraska
decision, for If that law is sustained
it would fall short Of the relief OBJ
tanned through the commissioners
system in Iowa. and what we are en-
titled TO receive ia this state
II we can get legislation giving the
board of railroad commissioners ample
power and providing for their election
by vote OF the people, l have nc fear
but that many Of the abuses now ex-
listing will be remedied
Recently II has been Claimed that
the commissioners under the laws of
this state and Nebraska have the
power to fix and regulate freight rates
in order tn test the question. Com
plants have been filed before the com.
niSsiOners in this state and also in
Nebraska to fully test the p werS OF
che commissioners in their respective
states.
| regard IT. however, as waste OF
time. We need legislation that will
beyond question enable the commits.
sionerS to give us relief, then elect
the commissioners by a direct vote OF
the people and the people will hold
them responsible for their work.
j. NJ. DOUBLEDAY.
The Old Soldier and Republican Party.