The age-herald., 1901-01-31
DANGEROUS AND MlscHIEvoUs.

From the Atlanta Constitution.
 The Cullom bill, increasing the powers of the Interstate Railroad Commission, en- acted into law, would be both dangerous and mischievous in its operation.
 The bill proposes to give the Interstate Commission full power to fix rates Of freight and to enter into all the details nec- essary for their enforcement. Thus a cen tral commission, composed of half dozen men, would be called upon to exercise a skill demanding the attention of hundreds of experts With the physical impossibility of being acquainted with the divers needs of every section of our large country, these men would apply the local conditions of their own places of residence, and ignore completely the conditions of those sections of which they are ignorant. The small branch railroad piercing the wilds Of ore gon would be placed under the same re- quirements of one tapping the New York Central The lumber railroad of South Georgia and the copper railroad of North ern Wisconsin, different in conditions of every kind, would be brought under the same whip-handle The property rights of railroad stockholders would be taken away from them, and the province of the State Railroad Commission would be invaded.
 Within reasonable limits an Interstate Railroad Commission can be of great ser vice. Its very existence is a warning to railroad managers that they dealing with public as well with private inter ests. The result is a policy part of rail- road managers necessitaing but little at tention from the commission. In this way the government best exercises it's influence upon the transportation lines. So far the interstate railroad commission, limited to the consideration of great principles, has done effective work But enlarge the power of that commission, wiping out all local in- terests and rights, abolishing all indepen- dent railroad management, and local bus mess interests will be paralyzed, the com mission will make frequent mistakes ow ing to multiplicity of work. and the only persons benefited will be the lawyers, who thrive upon litigation.
 The same influences which create ter rtorial political interests equally affect those of business. Hence, the utility of state lines, as enclosing certain great pop ulations and interests. With the general influence of the interstate railroad com mission upon the trunk lines, the state railroad commissions can best be depend ed upon to hold the balance between the transportation companies and the business interests of their respective states. These sectional interests are often at war. and the best tribunal to decide the issues raised is the business experience of the people themselves. Georgia has railroad commission with which she is perfectly satisfied, and it is to be presumed that the people of every other state have reached that condition most satisfactory to them
 If the general government is to assume detailed control of all the railroads, how long will 1t be before it will attempt the same thing in every other line of business? One of the greatest objections raised against popuism by business men was its evident trend to make the government the losing partner fin every form of private business. The democratic idea of an open field for every man, with as little govern ment interference as possible, is best for all. The Cullom bill should be shelved.