The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-01-23
RVILs THREATENED BY RAIL
ROAD COMBINATIONS.

the action of the Inter State Commerce
Commission in calling upon Congress
for power to protect the people from
the greed of giant railway comOina
tions. The fact that the Commission
is now awake to tue true condition of
affairs and hes the courage to point
out the dire evils threatened by rail
road monopoly ought to stimulate
those who have long resliz I'd this con
dition to more determined and persist
ent efort. This Inter s iate Commerce
Commission is intended TO regulate
railroad charges and rules in commerce.
between the s iates jas as a Saat9 B all
road Comm ,ssIou ls TO regulate charG' g
and rules IN a siagle SGa5e But Con
gress has, Intentionally or uninCention-
ally, failed Co give the Commission au
th0rity neces. AIRY TO properly project
the people, and the Commission in It's
thirteenth annual report, which 10 just
out, states the f6c5s as they are n a
refreshinRly clear and fearless manner.
From this report we extract the three
following paragraphs TO show the tenor
of the @ rmmission's statement:
the requests of the Commission for
needtul m9ndmenTs have been sup
ported oy petitions and memorials
from agricultural, manufacturing, and
commercial interests throughout the
country; yet not a line OF the statute
has been changed and none of the bur
densome conditions which call tor re
lief has been removed or modified The
reasons for the failure of the law to &C
complish the purposes for which it was
enacted have been so frequently and
fully set forth that repetition cannot
add to their force or make them better
understood. Iii sum 3ient TO say that
the ex isting siJuation and the develop.
ments of the pasGye8r render moe ion
perative than ever before the necessity
for speedy aud suitable legislation. We
therefore renew the recommended ions
heretofore made and earnestly urge
their early conside' alton and adoption.
MANY persons { o not understand tn
precIs9 nature OF the amend ments re
quired for enforcing the substantive
provisions of the act, while others have
apparently reached the belief that no
scoeme of regulation short Of govern
ment ownership and operation can be
made effective. Nevertheless il is D r
haps cafe TO say that nine tpnths OF the
people do knnU that ny railroad com
pGny can charge for ats serU &c 1ChGt
eUer 1T pLeGSes and as much as 1T pLease8
wlCnUug auy real power 10 LhIs ON
mission, or any other tribunal or C Ut
to limit the am punt OF such charge tor
the future when complaint Ia MADE ~
sggrleved shipper, and that tney
are su lstautiaily OF one mind a desIr
inE t1aG this and other defeCFs 10 tne
BE- promptly remedied. 1t il
also true that shippers gentra'ly have
been pracCic+ ally unanimous IN favor Of
single classification OF freIghCs, one |
will be uniform for all roads and
all sections OF the country, and reason
ably stable when established.
ut il q matter OF c1mmoa knowledge
that vast schs mes Of rail way contro
ara now in process of consum naU!on, !
and that the competition OF rlVai lines
is TO be restrained by tn ase comb'na
While this movement has not
yet found full expo slon in the actual
consolidation of railroad corporations,
enough has ~transpired to disclose a
Of financial interests which
will dominate the management and
harmon zs the operations of lines here
independ 3nt and competitive.
is to DAY the most noticeable and
rtant feature Of the railway sltua
ton. II the plans already foreshad
o we'd r bought to eff ctive results,
and others of similar scope are carr ed
TO execution, there will De a vast cen
OF railroad properties with
all n Iower involved in such far
reaching combinations, yet uDcon.
5rolied by any puolic authority which
can be eff iently exected. Tne re
sEraints of competition upon excessive
and III tst rates will in this way be
avoided, and whatever evils may re
suit will be remediless under exie ting
The Commission further points out
unless that body, or some other
tribunal or court, is given authority to
hold in che K the greed of railroad
msguates, unresGraIned by fear Of com
petition, q people themselves may
take the matter in band aud work q
revolution in railroad affairs.
This ls a report lacking in the dry