Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-11-18
still greater trade for the United
States.
RAILROAD CONSOLIDATION.

RAILROAD CONSOLIDATION.
. The consolidation of competing
systems of railroads, in effect, if not
openly SO proclaimed, is a matter OF
vast interest to the people, who are
the patrons of railway corporations.
From the people the railways obtain
their privileges and TO the people they
look for patronage. To the people
they are, or ought to be, directly re-
sponsible and answerable. The re-
cent gigantic merger of the stock of
five railway corporations, is a CONSOLE
dalton of railroads, by indirection at
least. Community of interest pre-
walls and is the keynote of the agree
ment, 1t is not to be supposed, there
fore, that any one railroad system will
be operated in competition with or in
jury ito any other system in the mer-
ger. This is, in effect, a consolidation
of the roads.
This consolidation is open to vital
objections from the people. Com
petition is the assurance of the people
that they will receive equitable rail-
road rates and fair treatment. Com
petition in r~ailroading has been ad-
vantageous to the people. The re-
moval of the competitive feature
leaves the people at the mercy of one
corporation. They cannot look to a
competing system of railroad for re-
lief, when they have been misused by
one railroad system. for there is no
competition. To the fairness and
Justice alone of the heads of the con-
solidated system they can look for re-
lief, unless they take it into their
W hands to obtain relief by aggres-
sive and summary means. This
would be done, either by forcing gov
eminent ownership Of railroads., or by
legislative action in each state, for
feiting the charter rights of the rail-
roads to do business, because Of a vio-
lation of the state constitution in con-
%solidating competing lines.
Government ownership of railroads
is open to, serious objection. not in
theory, perhaps, but in practice surely.
1t would inject another disturbing ele-
ment into politics and would to a
great extent destroy the system of
economics which now gives us govern
ment by party. Neither is there as
surance that railroad management by
the government would insure as good
service to the people as healthy, COM
petitive ~railroading in the manage
ment of private interests. The gov
eminent should acquire a postal tele-
graph, as a natural and logical adjunct
to the government postal system.
But government ownership of rail-
roads, in practice, the Tribune does
not believe would be the best solution
of the problem.
The solution of the problem then,
the Tribune believes, lies with each
state. The same solution is the log
ical one for the whole trust problem.
Possibly, with fair treatment and lack
of oppression or extortion, the ques-
tin may lie dormant for some time:
The people of each state, however,
have the remedy in their own hands.
That is in effective legislation, based
upon the constitution of the state
which forbids the consolidation of
competing railroads. State super
vision of the dealings OF trusts and
corporations will insure the people
fair treatment and justice. When
the necessity arises there is no ques-
ton the states will be found equal to
the emergency.