The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-01-04

Of saying over which line his
business is to be routed. In this re-
spect the community Of interests, as
the manipulatots are pleased to desig-
nate the combination, partakes of the
~peculiarities and characteristics of the
trust. The roads entering into the
scheme surrender the right of going
into open competition with rivals and
agree to accept the share of business
that the managers of the combina-
tion may see fit to give them as their
part. Competition would, of course,
cease and rates, no matter how xor
bitant they might be considered, could
and would be maintained. No
longer would the weaker road OF the
one having the longest mileage be-
tween prominent shipping points con-
nected by several lines have any in
centive to make cuts in order to OBJ
tain what it believes to be it's proper
tion of the business. It would depend
upon the agreement to which it is u
party for that share, knowing that the
other roads would see to it that it was
treated properly for the sake of main
tanning the integrity of the combine.
AS roughly outlined in the press dis
patches announcing the combination,
the scheme seems to be a modern re-
vival of the old pooling plan, which
obtained for several years and until
forced outof existence by the inter
state commerce act. Under that sys-
tenn the weaker roads came in for
their share Of business by being made
participants to the divisions of net
earnings which were made at stated
intervals. The system resulted in
maintenance of rates at so exOrbitant
figures and left the shipper sc COM
pletely at the mercy Of the railroads
without any means of redress that the
interstate commerce law was enacted
as one OF the results. of the agitation
that followed adoption of it. Other
results were the enactment of strin-
gent laws by the several states regulat-
ing railroad traffic within their limits
and fixing maximum rates that might
be charged, both for freight and pas
senger business, at amounts SO low
that many of the roads affected de-
clared they could not exist under
them. In fact many roads did 20 into
bankruptcy and the cause in numer-
Gus instances was attributed to the
hostile legislation of the states in
which they operated. Should the
proposed community Of interests"
materalize it is not saying too much
to assert that another period of hostil-
ity may ensue between the railroads
and public that will aagin result in
legislation ruinous to the companies.
The people recognize the necessity
for railroads, realizing that in the
present age no community or state may
expect to flourish and prosper with
out adequate and extensive transport
tation facilities, but they are also
quick to resent what they may con-
slider an infringement of their rights
by the companies owning those facili-
ties. When this occurs protests are
the first sign of their displeasure and
if they are allowed to go unheeded,
recourse is had to legislation, ana
everybody knows how easy it is to
elect Legislators of known ~unfriendli-
ness to railroads and who may be de-
pended upon to enact laws that no
railroad will care to have in existence.
POWERLESS BUT DEFIANT.
Confined in a %jailful of smallpox,