The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-01-14
ANNUAL REPORT GIVEN OUT
COMMERCE C0MMIs-
sioN DISCUSSES THE RAILWAYS.
Entirely Within the Power of the
Nanaxers-Methods Of Preventing
lntnst Freight Diserimina tions.

WASHINGTON. Jan. i3.-'rhe annual re-
Port Of tue Interstate commerce commits
sion says In part.
Tie commissions report says in mart:
1T Is perfectly clear that observance 81
tariff rates Is entirely within the gowsr
OF the railway managers and that IL
would be Vastly FOR the advantage of inc
railways as a whole. Ii would. nowegssr.
DC olHic2ii and often ruiun8s for one rail-
way To maintain rates while its eomt=ti-
tor makes secret concessions and IL is
also to be- admitted that Justified or not
the results are substantially as Claimed
~ TIE carriers. A large part OF the rail-
road business is now transacted upon IL
legal rates and La certain quarters charg-
ing the published rate is the exception.
TIE result is gross discrimination be-
tween individuals and gross preferences
between localities which most always fa-
yor the strong and opprsss the weak.
to force out the smaller operator and
build up those trusts aud Enon1poiies,
against which law and public opinion
alike bear in vain, As discrimination in
freight rates 4 further result is that
railroad business Is carried on largely in
conceded violation Of law. This cordi-
ton the present law is poweriess to csu-
troll. The criminal remedies have ttrn
applied and some convictions have been
had but substantial effect has hesn
produced. and no satisfying results can
be obtained from that course. The fact
may be morally certain. but the name.
the date. the amount cannot be SHOWN
with the particularly and certainty re-
quired by criminal law.
IF unrestricted competition produces dis
elimination. one obvious way TO prevent
such discrimination is TO restrict compets-
ton Whether existing conditions would
be improved by iegai!zing railway con-
tracts would depend upon the extent TO
which the agreements were made and actu-
ally enforced by the carriers. So tar rs
the commission can obtain information.
there IL AT present no other great nation
sssafsf
tween It's railroads although in many cases
that method has been tried and abandoned.
Put just as no other great nation today
enforces competition between railways. -
there f. no other great nation today which
does not regulate and control railway rates.
II tbs country is 10 change It's theory or
railway legislation. IL should adopt the new
theory In fits entirety. Carriers ask author
ify 10 eoIDbln. in order 10 fix and maintain
reasonable rates. But who shall decide
what rates are reasouabieg Shall Il be left
10 the carriers 10 fix their own rates, or
should the people who grant this extraor-
binary privilege reserve 10 themselves the
right 20 determine this question:
sit does not necessarily follow therefore
that permission should be given 10 carriers
10 make these determinations. The evils
attendant upon restricted competition might
b. greater than benefits derived from 1t. The
rate should be reasonable Ak well as stable
aud uniform. and hitherto competition has
been mainly relied upon for that purpose.
New, II competition IL TO be removed wha;
IS TO take the place OF ~ The conclusion
os the commission in reference 20 the
agreements OF this sort and the degree OF
control over rates which should be ex-
ercssea by public authority IS substantially
as announced i'm its annual report.
III commissions in restraint OF compe-
titian are 90 be permitted the following
additional observations should be borne in
mind:
4 To permit only a limited and feeble
restraint would be- To doom the experiment
to failure before IL was tried. bat IL might
Re well 70 provide that the provision grant
sain rfswnber OF years by It's owa limt,a-
tiofs.
- The contract itself and everything
done under IL should be open 20 public IN
sTlsctieB.
% II would probably he TO the advantage
of both the public and the railways II the
public bad some voice or representation In
some organization az tha kind under con-
siacrstion AZ the public appointed one or
sstofs, az the hoard az managers 50 whom
the shipper would fe~. free 10 submit his
complaint. and who would bring the ship
Ter's views before the association, II might
rnenioass relations between the railways
and the public ani thus prove materially
beneficial ir a high degree.
Whatever view may he taken Of this
phase ef the subject, the necessity fer a
thorough revision ~ the act cannot be
oxerstafed. The principles Of this law a.
ses fgrfh IN It's first three sections are cor
cefss Ia hc sound aud heafficent. but at
present saey amount "a little more than
a declaration 81 a sentiment. Some az the
,usrar features ~ the statute are fairly
sufficient. hus the ma siinery for en.orc-
ing it's s8hsf anfiye provisions ~ fatally de-
fsctiv~ Tnti3 needfisl legislation is sap
nlai that demand must remain unsa.ss-
rest under the responsibility OF "A duty
which II Is pnwsrless 10 discharge"