The Advocate and news., 1898-06-01
COMMISSIONS NO GOOD.
The Only Solution of the Railroad
Question Is Government
Ownership.

1t is sending out circulars urging CO.
operation in securing these laws. One
OF these came to Representative G. w.
Fairchild, Of Kingman, who endorsed
on it the statement that "the only So
luton Of the railroad question is gov
elnment ownership and free trade.
Commissions are worthless, as we'll as
laws" and returned 1t to the Secretary.
70 this Secretary Moseley replied as
follows
My letter of the 18th inst. has Just
been returned with your comment
endorsed thereon that THE only solu-
tiOn of the railroad question is gov
ernment ownership and free trade.
Commissions are worthless, as well as
laws"
l do not exactly understand what re-
latlon free trade has to the railroad
question, which is purely domestic
affair
The belief in government ownership,
it seems to me arises solely from the
fact that the regulation Of railroads by
law has not given the relief the people
demanded or expected, and some per-
sons, without investigation of the cause
of the failure, come at once to the con-
clusiOn that government ownership is
the panacea for all existing evils and
bad practices in railway management
and transportation.
The interstate commerce act was
passed originally because of the uni
veTsal demand of the people for the
regulation Of railways; the act was only
tentative in its character, as nothing in
that line had been previously attempt
ed; it was largely an experiment; yet
for some time after its enactment it
gave a good degree Of satisfaction The
idea of regulation of railways by law
was new, and was strongly combatted in
many quarters. This feature amounted
to opposition to the enactment of the
law, and afterwards opposition to it's
enforcement. The whole question had
to be settled by the courts. Finally the
right to regulate was established by
decisions of our highest tribunal. The
ingenuity OF the opposition and the in
depreciation Of the courts have, how
ever, succeeded in practically emascu-
lating the act in its important prOvi-
sions, although the commission has
made every effort that could be reason
ably made to carry out the law. The
commission, in addition, has recon-
mended, in every annual report to Con-
gress, amendments to the law which
were discovered essential to its success.
To large extent these recOmmenda-
tions have not been entertained or met
with favorable consideration. The ex-
perience OF the commission, aided by
the advice Of the most able authorities
upon the subject, has enabled them to
prepare and recommend to Congress
the amendments found in the last an
nual report, which are believed to meet
the obstacles and remove them which
prevented carrying out the provisions
OF the law. 1t may be said, therefore,
that sufficient trial of this method of
regulation has not been had, and we
may well await the enactment of these
amendments, if that can be effected,
and see whether they may not be pro-
ductive of beneficial results as claimed
for them. or course, when other meth
DDS Of control have proven to be fail
ures, that of government ownership yet
remains to be tried. But it seems to
me it would be unwise to launch upon
such wide and unknown sea until
other means have been exhausted. 1t
is too radical step in the dark and
fraught with too many risks in a cOun-
try like ours, to be undertaken except
as dernier resort.
That commissions and laws are
worthless l cannot concede. On the
contrary, it has been demonstrated that
many branches of government, munich
pal, State and national, are most ad-
mirably and successfully conducted by
commissions, and there are no reasons
yet assigned, that have seen, why
government railway commission should
be failure per Sc.
To fully test the question under IA
vorable conditions as are likely to ex-
list, the passage of the proposed amend
mpntc 10 r1wood hxy NriovIc ~