The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-27
Will YIELD GRACEFULLY.
Joint Traffic Association Will Bow
to the Courts Decision.

New York, Oct 27.-Commissioner
George r. Blanchard of the Joint Traf-
fic association, after reading the full
text of the supreme court in the joint
traffic case, said:
1.-The decision of the United States su-
preme court in the Joint Traffic associ-
alton case naturally attracts wide
spread attention by reason of its int1u-
ence upon the railway earnings and Sc
curlties of the country and also as be-
cause it may effect their patrons by
stimulating dissimilar and non-perma-
nent rates and fares under the mis-
nomer Of competition
While I. therefore greatly regret the
decision it is now the interpreted law
of the land and must be Loyalty Observ-
ed 1t nevertheless forcibly illustrates
the power which may be exercised by
one mind which becomes a majority in
the paramount court of the land I am
not, however, an alarmist who believes
that railroad properties are to be i'm
mensely dangered thereby. Our con-
tract did not accomplish all it's pur
poses, but from the first it encountered
the opposition rather than the support
OF the governmental authorities. It will
therefore, continue for the time being
an anomaly that the law of the land,
passed for the declared purpose of Sc
curing uniform methods, is Substan-
TALLY declared void and imperative.
Every member of the interstate COM
merce commission thoroughly under
stands that even the most reasona BILE
rates can not be maintained without
railway cooperation and understanding
of some sort. For example, the inter
state law provides for nOn-diScrimina-
ton between localities. How is this
parity of cities and districts to be ap-
Piled unless the lines leading to and
from localities substantially agree? The
same law provides for -diScrimina-
ton between individuals. How is this
to be achieved, except by conference
and an aggregated determination to
stop the vices which produce such re-
prehensible discriminations2
I quite concur in the view expressed
by President Fowler of the Ontario &
Western company that the ground is
now cleared for an endeavor to secure
such legislation at Washington as will
remove these apprehensions in this
country as they have been in England,
from all uncertainty and doubt I thor
oughly believe that in the evolution of
the railway problem in the United
States which is the greatest one pre-
Sented for solution the ultimate result
will be to convince the general public
as our patrons and as most trade bodies
are now fully convinced, that uniformi-
ty of rates made and secured by the
reasonable and properly guarded coop
GRAFTON and approval of the interstate
commerce commission is better than
demoralized, uncertain, preferential and
SpaSmOdic rates made at the will of
small individual companies, but involv-
ing all other companies and patrons in
the results under the cloak of cOmpeti-
ton. When these fair purposes and
proven results shall be fully explained
and understood. I have no doubt that
the national legislators will be persuad-
ed by the railway and mercantile inter-
ests that the purpose of the interstate
act can surely be fulfilled in a spirit of
cooperation with the carriers rather
than by antagOnism. I have great
pleasure in noting that Chairman
Knapp of the Interstate commerce COM
mission has lately announced similar
general views"