The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-16
An Unfortunate Delay.

The decision Of the senate commit
tee on interstate commerce to defer
final action on the Foraker pooling bill
until the regular session of congress
next winter would be more regrettable
IF the leading railroads, anticipating
delay, had not prepared for this emer-
gercy by virtually organizing informal
pools among themselves. These tacit
T. Understandings with regard to rates
, are exceedingly friable. and from the
nature of the case they can be only
Temporary; hence the desirabilty of
carly action by congress putting the
subject; on the basis of permanency
1t is represented in the published
correspondence from Washington that
there exists in certain quarters where
one would least expect It violent oppo-
sition to legislation on the pooling
question. The notion prevails, it
seems, that a>rate pool in some mys-
feridis way holds out a menace to the
bost interests Of shippers. The fallacy
of this idea was demonstrated some
years ago when the interstate COM
merce commission, a the request of
the senate. undertook an inquiry on the
subject. The commission addressed
circulars to shippers, commercial bod
les and various parties who are direct
ly interested in transportation matters,
and SO per cent of the replies, repre-
senting all the classes referred to, IA
Vored the abrogation of the clause of
the interstate commerce law prohibit
ing pooling, while only il per cent.
favored the retention of that clause of
the law. 1t would seem to q layman
as if the shippers of the country ought
to be well qualified to offer testimony
on this point. If they favor the legal
ization of pooling by such q marked
preponderance of opinion it is not easy
to see why politicians should object.
One great objection in the public
mind against any pooling bill, as has
already been pointed out by a we'll
known writer on this subject, is the
supposition that it contemplates am in
crease of rates. That is not the case.
Under the bill that will sooner or later
be reported by the senate committee,
If the rates are unreasonable the inter-
state commerce commission will have a
right to interfere. But, as Mr.. BlanCh-
ard the president of the former pooling
association, has explained, the fixing of
rates is not the object of pooling, and
never has been. The object of pooling
is to maintain stability in rates. If
rates are reduced they will be reduced
in way that every shipper will get
the benefit of the reduction instead Of
q few men profiting by secret rebates
or other practices of that kind.
The. fact is that the legislators of
the country must sOCn cease to be gov
erned by demagogical hostility to the
railway interests and must recognize
that the question of state regulation
of transportation has two sides. we
are getting today the best and cheap
est freight and passenger service in
the world But more than half OF the
systems which supply this servi:2 are
now in receivers hands and It sh1uld
be the aim of legislation to faci!itate
the getting of them out of the bank
ruptcy courts and upon solid ground
once more. This can be done without
encroachment upon the public rights
if the thing is undertaken in the prop
er spirit. 1t is time that this spirit
began to prevail.