The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-11-11
THE LOST CoMMIssIoNERsHIP.

- nee more the Southern Pacific Railroad has
succeeded in preventing the appointment OF
~ representative OF the Pacific Coast to the
Interstate Commerce Commission. To the vacancy
occasioned by the resignation of Commissioner Cal
houn the President has appointed Joseph Fiter OF
Illinois, and all efforts made in the three States OF
Washington, Oregon and California to procure the
selection of w. R Wheeler have failed.
From the time Of the creation OF the commission
the Southern Pacific Company has opposed the ap-
pontment of man from this coast to place upon it,
and the opposition has been continuously successful
Notwithstanding it was the intention of the trainers
OF the act creating the commission that among its
members there should always be representative OF
the interests OF this section OF the Union
Commercially and industrally the States OF the
Union are divided into FIVE great groups each group
being marked by certain characteristics which distin
guish it from the others The commercial and trans
portation interests of no two of these groups are
alike, nor are the problems which confront business
men alike in any two OF them. 1t was the design of
Congress in establishing the Interstate Commerce
Commission to give each of these divisions of the
country an equal power in the commission, and &C
cordingy the act provides for five Commissioners.
Each of the other groups of States has always had
a representative Commissioner. The Pacific Coast
has never had one The Southern Pacific, for reasons
known to its bosses has antagonized every effort 20
obtain such representative, and is because OF that
antagonism this section of the Union has voice in
determining transportation questions which affect its
welfare
In times past the defeat Of Pacific Coast aspirants
for Commissonership has occasioned but little COM
ment AS we never had a Commissioner, large
number of our people have considered it part OF the
natural order OF things that should never have one
This year the case is different Certain demands made
by Chicago and St Louis for freight preudical
to the coast have aroused our merchants, manufac-
turers and producers to realization OF the danger
that threatens their interests Out Of the discussion
of that subject came an understanding OF the right OF
the coast to a representative the commission and
desire to obtain one Accordingly the business men
OF the three States united upon candidate and recon-
nended him to the President Thus the issue
raised, and Pacific Coast sentiment long indifferent
to the question, was thoroughly aroused
1t is to be noted that the right OF the Pacific Coast
to representative on the commission was recognized
in the East Our merchants and manufacturers did
not have to make the fight without aid. The Pha-
delphia Hardware Merchants and Manufacturers
Association, acting as organization, Endorsed the
candidacy OF Mr.. Wheeler, and in doing so reflected
the prevailing sentiment of the Eastern public.
From the moment, however, that the movement for
obtaining Commissioner from the coast was started
the Southern Pacific Company about defeating it
With their usual cunning, the railroad schemers
sought divide the people, and for that purpose set
up candidate of their own. They did not succeed in
fomenting divisions among Pacific Coast people, but
they evidently succeeded in convincing the President
that such division exists The result is the appoint
ment OF a man from Illinois.
Once more, then, the railroad has triumphed, but
this time the victory is likely to them dear. The
people are now united. The Southern Pacific Com
pany will eventually be made keep its hostile hands
out of Pacific Coast politics. and OF the incentives
which will prompt the people to that action will be the
remembrance OF the trick by which the railroad de
feated William R. Wheeler and deprived the Pacific
Coast States OF their rightiul representation on the
commission which regulates our interstate commerce
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