The weekly examiner., 1901-03-23
Trolley and Steam Roads.

THE EXAMINER man takes view of tions and consequent hearings on appli- cations in behalf of steam and trolley railroads and their extensions before the present legislature and it's railroad com mittee, Instead of confning in their reports and final determination of such matters the question in the limits of or dinary method of action favorable or adverse, it seems that by far the better and, in the long -aun the cheaper, zEey to the state would be to report favorably in every case, whether the legislation is asked for in trolley interest or in steam interests, and pass any and every bill asked for by either system which has for it's purpose the extension of it's roads, and whether it parallels another road or not.
 At first blush, we admit, such propo- sition may strike one as absurd. or at least ill-advised; but the more you come to think it over the more sensible the proposition becomes. To have it thoroughly understood on all sides beforehand that the legislature had adopted the ironclad rule to pass every bill where trolley or steam com pany either asks to extend it's road and connections or permission to transport any kind of baggage, sensate or insen- sate, or to run express trains, or to par allel other roads of different motive pow -er-an in the line of public convenience and developing of property in this state we say that, if such 8 rule was adopt ed by the assembly it would be greater public blessing than an evil, and do far more public good than public harm.
 In the first place, whether they are steam or trolley, ''the more railroads the merrier," for the public. A railroad whatever it's motive power is public necessity aid convenience. The more we have of them, the more public con- venience is secured.
 Next, we must not forget the fact that as all railroads depend upon use by the public for their maintenance and profits the more we have of them, the greater latitude we give for their extension, the more liberal we are in granting every railroad free chance of, paralleing or competing with another, the lower com petition will bring rates of travel to the public. In railroad rates for passengers and for freight, the public is charged enormously. One has only to look at their earnings to ascertain this fact. Their earnings are simply enormous and out of all proportion to actual expenses. Few railroads, whether electric or steam, would dare declare each year all they earn in dividends to stockholders. The public would be after them at once. In this state these two giants of unlimited capital l-steam and electricity-really govern our legislation. In a fight be- tween themselves, or between public interests and their own, they can swing financial influence which is stagger- ing to contemplate. Insurance interests all combined together are insignificant in the influence financially which they are able to bring to bear on a given pro- ject by the side of these big railroad cor porations, combines of electric roads and combines of steam roads.
 A third advantage of this general rule of granting railroads of all kinds the privilege here referred to already will be seen in the fact that all these extensions,