The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-25
The Joint Traffic Decision.


The decision handed down yesterday
by the United States supreme court in
the case of the Joint Traffic associa,
ton ought, if properly comprehended
! in all its bearings, to afford a guar,
antee to the people that the law of the
| land is with them and that justice
| though sometimes sluggish in her
movements, can be trustfully relied
upon.
When the provisions of law are ut
| tered by the national congress, com,
posed of the representatives of all the
people, and receive the Endorsement ot
! the executive, subterfuge and evasion
should. in the spirit of equity and fair
ness, be combatted The decision in
| what is known as the Trans-MissOurl
case, rendered several months ago.
! seemed to be in the nature of a warn
! ing against railway combinations look
| Ing TO the maintenance of rates in vic.
! lation of the principles laid down IA
| the antitrust law. These principles
recognized the supreme advantage OF
| competition. The Joint Traffic associa-
ton, which embraces the representation
|
| terminal connections, the Atlantic sea,
! board ports, took the position that, by
| entering into a general agreement
among themselves to prevent a dis,
| turbance of traffic rates, they vera
! dealing equitably with the shippers. as
| we'll as conserving their own interests
with respect to the distribution of
profits accruing from the work of
| transportation.
Theoretically, viewed from the stand
point of the railway companies, their
I position was sound; but only to the ex-
tent that, inasmuch as there were so
many roads in existence for the trans,
| portatlOn service, all were entitled to
snare which, in it's distribution,
| should afford a profit to each individual
road.
But the legal thought Of the country
| mas evidently gone beyond the point
at which contributions for the sus-
tenance Of transportation lines,
whether needed or not for the traffic
| accommodations of the country. are
| entitled to consideration When new
| lines are built it is reasonable to sup
| pose that their promoters are willing
| to enter the field of competition. at
their own risk and on their own merits,
and not as self-constituted paupers to
be fed from the funds derived from
| general traffic rates exactions. The
tendency and the prOmotive spirit as-
| sociated with the commercial trend Of
tHlS country is in the direction of the
| minimum of cost of TRANSFORMATION
rom now onward, volume must count
against revenue, and the road that can
secure the greatest volume of traffic
VIII secure the largest return of reye-
nue All American roads are fully
| equlpped-some of them far beyond
their requirements. 1t is not Just to re-
! qulre the people to contribute. thrOugb
excessive freight charges, to the cost
| OF the equipment of roads that have
no traffic except that which is Ner-
united to pass to them by the conde-
| Scending methods practiced under the
| pooling system, whether that system be
| openly recognized as such or cloaked
under the pretentiOus title of a Joint
! or any other kind of a traffic assOcia-
tiCn.
1t would appear that by this deci-
sion bottom had been reached in deal
Ing with this gigantic and constantly
rebellious question. Mr.. James J. Hill.
| president Of the Great Northern. has.
| in the brief interview recorded in an
| other column of this edition of The
| Il l o e, given fOrcibIe expression to
view which has the complete in
Gorsement Of the people of the North
west. Mr.. Hill has always been the
| persistent advocate of the minimur9
| rate for transportation and traffic con-
Sistent with reasonable profit to those
| who, through their investments. as
sumo the risks of this branch Of bust
! ness. To any independent and manly
| mind, combinations which have no
| other than a ruinous effect upOn those
who, While contributing to the revenues
of railway corporation must them
selves suffer a tax they are not quail
| fed by circumstances to bear must
| be odious and a just cause for unrest.
1t is not part Of the business Of those
| who have products to forward to the
Atlantic seab0ard to contribute to the
dividend fund of a surplus of railway
lines engaged in the traffic.
The decision Of the supreme court
in this Joint Traffic association case.
Is the most encouraging decree, in the
| interests Of the people, that has ever
emanated from that august tribunal.