The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-31
LIVE AND LET LIVE,

In the matter of securing and en-
business, we take it that the interest
of all parties lies in doing justice all
around. 1t is not to the interest of the
railroads that they should be permit
ted to make such charges as will de-
press industry, discourage settlement
and promote poverty along their lines.
That policy results in either keeping
stationary or diminishing the volume
of their business, and in making it i'm
possible foe them to secure that in
=, u earnings and of profits upon
which their prosperity depends. 1t is
not to the interest of the producer or
the laboring man that the railroads
should be forced into bankruptcy. A
rate which is either below the cost Of
service, including a reasonable COM
pensation on capital actually invested,
or which will force the common car
riers into the hands of receivers, is
not, in the long run, beneficial to the
people. That results in the discharge
of employees, the cutting down of wag-
es, the Gripping of service, the reduc-
ton Of train schedules to the minimum,
and, in word, in poor service instead
of good, and a small pay roll instead
of large one. Hitherto the conflict
has been between these two extremes.
The rapacity of railroad arrangements
brought about the passage of the inter-
state commerce act and those acts of
state legislatures and of state rail-
road commissions which have gone so
Tar toward securing reasonable rates.
The feeling engendered in return on
the part Of legislatures is in danger Of
going so far as to make it impossible
for railroads to do business Laying
all prejudice aside, is it not time and
is 1t not the duty Of every legislature
to study justice, to look for the means
of securing rates that shall be rea-
sonable from the point of view Of both
shipper and carrier; and to follow. in
the interest of the whole community
the good old maxim, Live and let
live?"
1t is in this connection that we refer
to some statistics presented in the
editorial columns Of the st. Paul Dis
patch last Saturday, as furnished by
Mr.. Douglas in support of the bill
which he has introduced. The Dispatch
does not vouch for the correctness of
these statistics, but gives them as hav-
ing the authority of Mr.. Douglas be-
hind them. We publish in our local
columns this morning a careful analy-
sis of these statements, which proves
that the showing made is not what
would appear upon its face, and is cal
culated to spread an erroneous impress
sion, likely to lead to false conclusions
on the part of those who have not ac-
cess to statistical reports and the sourc-
es Of reliable information concerning
the railroad business In the interest
therefore, of public knowledge, so that
the members of the legislature and the
people Of the state may know exactly
what the facts are and govern them
selves accordingly, we present the cor
rection that needs to be made in the
figures given as coming from Mr. Doug
las.
His first table shows an increase in
railroad earnings between 1895 and 1896
There is no doubt about this, since the
enormous crops raised in the North
west supplied an increased ton
mage, which it required all the facil-
titles of the railroads TO handle. The
difference between a heavy and light
year appears in transportation as in
every other kind OF industry. That the
conditions changed just as rapidly and
seriously during the last part Of 1896
IS well known. To all who have eS-
amined the published report, 1t win
appear by the end of the present fiscal