The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-06-14

HON NJ n INGALLS, PRESIDENT OF /
THE big FOUR
commissions % the different states 10 u
a body that Is supposed % stand A. an
arblter between railroads and the people
as friend of both. a body that ought %
and does have great influence, and espe-
claliy 10 reference 20 legislation regard
lng railroads n tHis audience should
agree upon any legislation 10 that respect
that was needed. I presume there would
be no difficulty in inducing youder con
gress to enact 10 into Law. and believing a.
! 90 that 10 is essential 20 the public IN
ierest 20 secure legislation. ] am pleased
10 have this opportunity o. presenting my
views and cudeavorinE 20 enlist you in
the reforms which I think are 70 vital.
We have reached a crisis IN railway man
Rgemsut when something must be done
u We would avoid disaster. not alone to
the railways but 10 the material inter
eats % our country.
For 20 years a contcs; has been waged
IN legislatures In congress. and before
the courts BY the people on one side who
believed that railways were public cor
porhtious and subject 20 control by the
power that created them. and on the
other hand. BY oficials Of the railways.
who did not believe that such control was
legal or practicable State after state
asserted its rirht. These rights were con
tested from one court 20 another. and
decided from time 90 time always 10 favor
81 the people under certain restrictions.
II finally eliminated ln iei IN the enact
msnt o. the Interstate commerce law. and
since then there has been hardly a day
when some provision Of that Law was not
under consideration by the courts or by
congress until nov We may state 10 is as
fairly settled by the highest courts in the
land that the legislatures 81 tho states
have control oer railways With refer
encc 20 their local business subject to
certain conditions and that the congress
o. the United States has the power 60
regulate interstate business. The supreme
court % the United States. which is the
highest arb.tsr 81 these differences. has
lust decided that such control - the
states or regulation. must be- reasonable.
and that rates cannot be reduced below
a pront where the railroads can earn
their expenses and fair return upon
their cost.
Railway managers had accepted the
, situation. and were cndeavor,uE TO obey
the interstate commerce law ana anap
their management 90 % when. in March
lss,. a decision was rendered by the su.
prsmc court which produced chaos az,
destroyed an agreements. II was rrlt'
urallv that Che Sherman antitrust Jaw
, so-tailCj. which % hai NOT been suppose,
aprlitl 10 railways. lld apply @. Iutw
ana under the construction % Chat .aN
by fav court % was practically Impossible
90 make amy agreements Dr aIalg, mttt
Ter the maintenance of tarlfs ln fn
case brought AGAINST tlt Joint TRAM
. association BOO Sew York tls Wow fa
been eamr1fDl ly the railways aa4
mas Dee modified ty Che courts
: III s we'll perhaps THAT We shout
look tGt situation fairly BOD thc ftg.. au
while I DO NOT caro- tu D. Il u'auriHt
feel bound 90 describe plainly Co yuu th
condition today so that sou may under
stand the necessity foI action. aitcr u
the history of railway have tarilH bo.
r0 uttic respected as TODAY. Private ur
raur,mo1is aud understanding ere mur
Y plentiful than regular ratgE The iarr,
. shippers tho irresponsible shipper fr
obtaining advantages which must toouC
J, or later prove che ruin OF tEc smaller au
q more conservative traders and IN o.
4 end Will break up many 90 the CONNER
4 c.al houses Boo thla country and rulu Ga
railways madness seems go hay
!. seized upon some railway manggcrs, an
y a large portion of the frcIghts 90 o.
y country Is being carried at prices far B.,
low cost other than the maintenance q
Z, tariffs the condition oi The railways
i: good. their physical condition has bee
n, Improved. their trains are wen manage.
"a and the public Ig we'll served. NJ "a wa
q car tc found by which tariffs can D
!, maintained and the practice " secret %
~ bates and private contracts u.t.DutIuuH
Isl the future 1911 have great promise RI
- railway Investors. railway employees ur
re the public generally And here wish
,d say that this is not "a question wis.
- concerns railway Investors alone. n
he was. YOU might fay l,t them HEht
Id fH.. D.
~ one else. the great public. uHp-Hf'h
! our reOpic ATE Interested directly
~ rnuwnyt. either as employee or employ
~ OF manufactures that are engaged Boa 500
~ rIrllur supplies 90 the railway 90
NJ. amy body polite prosper II obr-df;h
10 lts number ie cuEggcd in tusiue.s th
er Is losing money The railway rervc q
'n- public In 80 many ways that their pro
., perity Is closely interviewer with q
- prorpcriy aud comfort OF the ofiinn
people. one thousand millions OF dolia
lu we're paid out last year by the failwn
as, from their earnings TO employees 90 ma
ct ufactorics IN this country. tllV0Wl
ca passengers were carried. 1900 mllio
ho were carried one mile. 16s 0oo0oo % tons
freight were moved. $500 millions % Co
"a were moved one mile. DO YOU think On
" any interest performing such mmCn
n service as this can be ln difficulty OF
vi the balance OF the country not feel
Nv Forty millions Of dollars were paid o
M for public taxes over three thousa
'N millions OF dollars that have been iuv,i
a. ed ia railways have earned no divide
ho for years This Is not water. as Fui
populst orator will say. but good. hon,
. money. These securities are held
dt through the land and their failure
pay any return has brought disgrace