The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-01-05
WANTS MORE POVER
Interstate Commerce Commits
sion Makes Its Report
LAW is VERY DEFECTIVE
Railroad Men Confess That
They Must Evade It.

Washington, Jan 4-The fourteenth an
nuaI report Of the interstate commerce
commission was sent to congress stoday.
Attention is called by the commission Of
the necessity for further legislation
amending the act to regulate commerce.
the reasons for. urging these amend
ments having been carefully explained
in previous reports. knowledge Of pres
ent conditions and tendencies they say;
Increase rather than lessons the necessity
for legislative action upon the lines al
ready indicated. and in such other direc-
tions as will furnish an adequate and
workable statute for the regulation Of
commerce among the several states.
''It Is evident" the reports says, that
railroad managers generally have made
no attempt to conform their practices to
the spirit OF the law. They may keep
within it's letter and succeed in avoiding
its penalties, but they claim that they
are virtually compelled to counteract its
aim and evade its observance. Thus it
happens that some Of the most impor-
tant and useful incidents Of railway ser
vice are maintained by methods which are
believed to be tnharmonious with if not
in actual violation Of q federal statute.
This is more than the question of pooling
contracts between rival carriers-it is the
question of such )agreemtns as relate to
classification, terminal charges and the
lke-concerning which uniformity. Ger
tainty and stability are Of manifest BEN
eft and convenience TO the public.
Under the conditions now existing it is
inevitable that frequent Determinations
should occur and endless acts Of injus-
tice be committed. theoretically it is
possible for each road to observe its pub
lshed schedules in excess but this in
many cases must DE if done at all, only
at the loss of needed traffic, unless all
rival roads with equal strictness and hon
esty conform ia like manner to their pub
lished rates. The idea Of public regula-
ton implies certain standards of correct
ccrduct to which all carriers shall con
form It also implies some measure Of
supervision and control over those sub
ject to its requirements, 70 the end that
these standards may be observed and
practices made to conform thereto. This
with 1ut doubt, is inconsistent to some
degree at least, with actual and constant
competition as that term IS commonly
understood.
1.-THE policy now pursued can not and
viii not prevent an outcome of vicious
determinations. And what is most for
tunate Of all. those Determinations favor
the few and place the many at disadvan-
age. They aid the strong, who have no
need of assistance. and handicap the
weak with burdens which, by comparison,
are always unjust and often destructive
'oThe present state Of the law has I'M
doubtedly furnished a great incentive to
consolidation unifcation lines which is at
once the most conspicuous and most sig
nifcant result of current railroad finan-
ciering"
This season there is a large death rate
among children from Group and lung
troubles. Prompt action VII save the
little ones from these terrible diseases.
We know Of nothing so certain to give
! instant relief as One Minute Cough Cure.
1t can also be relied upon in grippe and
/ all throat and lung troubles of adults.