The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-06-09
RAILWAY MANAGEMENT.
Address of Hon. M. E. Ingalls, to the
Commissioners Convention.
Questions Pertaining to the Conduct
of Railways which Are OF
Interest to the General
Public.

country met in convention at Wash
ington, d. c., on Tuesday, May 10, for the
purpose of considering questions of
great interest both to the railways and
the people of the United States. The
convention was addressed by Hon. NJ.
+. Ingalls,, a high authority in railway
matters, upon the establishment of
proper traffics, conduct of shippers and
the betterment of existing conditions
in railway affairs, also the advance
ment of measures looking to the great
er comfort and convenience of the pub
lie. Mr.. ingalls, address is here given
as being a semi-official expression of
the views held by railway managers
generally, and as being also Of gen
eral interest to the public at large:
"Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen: I am
very much obliged for this opportunity OF
addressing you. l understand l have in my
audience the members Of the interstate
commerce commission and the gentlemen
composing the various railway commits
sons Of the different states 1t Is a body
that Is supposed to stand as an arbiter be-
tween the railroads and the people, as a
friend of both; a body that ought to and
does have great influence, and especially
In reference to legislation regarding rail-
roads. If this audience should agree upon
any legislation in that respect that was
needed, presume there would be no diff
hculty in inducing yonder congress to
enact 1t into law, and believing as I do
that II Is essential to the public interest to
secure legislation, l am pleased to have
this opportunity Of presenting my views
and endeavoring to enlist you in the re-
forms which think are so vital We have
reached a crisis in railway management
where something must be done If we would
avoid disaster, not alone to the railways,
but to the material interests of our country
For 50 years contest has been waged
IN legislatures, In congress and before the
courts, by the people on one side who be-
lieved that railways were public corpora
tons and subject to control by the power
that created them; and, on the other hand,
by officials of the railways, who did not
believe such control was legal or prac-
ticable State after state asserted its right
These rights were contested from one court
to another, and decided from time to time
always in favor Of the people, under GER
tain restrictions. 1t finally eliminated In
1887 in the enactment of the interstate COM
merce law and since then there has been
hardly day when some provision Of that
law was not under consideration by the
courts or by congress, until now we may
state 1t is as fairly settled by the high
est courts in the land that the legislatures
or the states have control over railways
with reference to their local business, sub
Ject to certain conditions, and that the
congress of the United States has the
power to regulate interstate business. The
supreme court Of the United States which
Is the highest arbiter Of these differ
ences, has just decided that such control of
the states, or regulation, must be reason
able, and that rates cannot be reduced be-
low point where the railroads can earn
their expenses and fair return upon their
cost
Railway managers had accepted the sit
uaton and were endeavoring to obey the
interstate commerce law and adapt their
management to it when in March, 1897 de-
cision was rendered by the supreme court
which produced chaos and destroyed all.
agreements. 1t was practically that the
Sherman antitrust law, so-called, which
1t had not been supposed applied to rail-
ways. did apply to them, and under the
construction of that law by the court Il
was practically impossible to make any
agreements or arrangements for the main
tenance of tariffs. In the case brought
against the Joint Traffic association in
New York, this view has been combatted
by the railways and it may be modified by
the courts. But since that decision in
March, 1887, there has been practically a
state of anarchy so far as the maintenance
OF tarins is concerned in a large part of this
country.
1T IS well, perhaps, that we should look
the situation fairy in the face, and while l
do not care to be an alarmist, l feel bound
TO describe plainly to you the condition to-
day, so that you may understand the ne
cessty for action. Never in the history of
railways have tariffs been so little re-
spected as to-day. Private arrangements
and understandings are more plentiful
than regular rates. The larger shippers,
the irresponsible shippers, are obtaining
advantages which must sooner or later
prove the ruin of the smaller and more
conservative traders, and in the end will
break up many of the commercial houses
In this country and ruin the railways
madness seems to have seized upon some
railway managers, and a large portion of
the frelghts OF the country Is being carried
at prices far below cost. Other than the
maintenance of tariffs the condition of the
railways Is good; their physical condition
has been improved: their trains are we'll
managed, and the public is well served. II
a way can be found by which tariffs can
be maintained and the practice of secret
rebates and private contracts discontinued
the future will have great promise for rail-
way investors, railway employees and the
public generally And here I wish to saw
that this Is not question which concerns
railway investors alone. If it was, you
might say let them fight 1t out 1t con-
Germs over and above everyone else, the
great public. One-fffth of our people are
interested directly in railways, either as
employees or employees of manufactures
that are engaged in furnishing supplies to
the railways. Can any body polite prosper
II one-fifth of its number is engaged In a
business that is losing money? The rail-
ways serve the public in so many ways that
their prosperity is closely interviewer with
the prosperity and the comfort of the
ordinary people. One thousand millions of
dollars were paid out last year by the rail-
ways from their earnings to employees Of
manufactures In this country; 511, 000, 900 of
passengers were carried 1900 millions
were carried one mile; 765, 600, 900 of tons of
freight were moved; 5000 millions Of tons
were moved one mile. Do you think that
any interest performing such immense
service as this can be in difficulty and the
ba4ance OF the country not feel It? Forty
millions of dollars were paid out for pub
lie taxes. Over three thousand millions OF
dollars that have been invested In railways
have earned no dividend for years. This
Is not water as some populist orator will
say. but good, honest money. These
curities are he'd all through the land, and
their failure to pay any return has brought
disgrace upon us abroad and suffering and
want In many family and community at
home. A slight Improvement in the rate,
which would be scarcely felt, would make
this investment good. One mill per ton per
mile, or one-tenth Of cent, additional, last
year would have made $685. 900 increase In
net revenue, and this would have paid three
per cent upon this invested capital.
These are the material sides of the ques-
ton. There Is much more dangerous