The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-06
AN BILL.

AN IMPORTANT BILL.
In view of the recent revelations regard
ing discrimination in freight rates and
the efforts which railroad managers are
making to prevent rate cutting. the bill
which Senate Elkins presented in the Sen
ate on Tuesday is the most important that
has been or can be presented during the
present session. Railroad transportation is
a matter which affects all the people. No
industry is so insignificant that it cannot
be affected by a traffic rate. By favoritism
THE business Of one competitor may be
made prosperous at the expense of all the
others. BY discriminating rates the enter
prise and the energy of one town may be
paralyzed while that of another no more
deserving may be given the prosperity of
both. No measure can come before Con-
gress that can be as important as one
affecting the lines of transportation over
which pulsate the m and industry
of the whole country. If measures should
have a place on the calendars Of both
houses in proportion as they are important
TO the whole country a bill proposing TO
place the interstate railways under such
control that all shippers would be treated
alike and the rates be fair to all would
stand at the head Of the list until disposed
of. 1t can be added that the subject is
attracting more attention at present than
it has in the past.
The Journal is not able to say whether
Senator Elkins's bill will insure the re-
forms which the people desire and which
the managers of railway systems declare
are needed to give values 10 railroad proper
ties. Competition with it's favoritism and
the inequalities incident to rate cutting has
been of no advantage to the people ana
a serious disadvantage TO the railroads.
To prevent rate cutting and proftless COM
petition railroad managers resorted to pool
ing. No evidence was presented to show
that the public suffered by the pooling sys-
TEN, but the Supreme Court found that
it was In restraint of trade and declared
it in violation of the Sherman antitrust
law and of the Constitution. No agree
ment of gentlemen" to prevent rate cut
ting has been effective, so that railroad
managers have been devising plans to save
their properties from their own indiscreet
management or mismanagement. Their
plan has been to bring all the roads of d
given region under one direction if not un-
der one ownership. 1t is probable this
scheme has met with considerable success,
but such combinations have attracted pub
lie attention, and the war upon the 'mer-
GER affecting the Northern Pacific, the
Great Northern and the Burlington would
indicate that the people view them with APP
prehension.
1t appears from the abstract of the
Elkins bill that pooling arrangements must
be subject to the approval of the Interstate
nj Commission; at least the COM
mission, on complaint, can annul any con-
tract for pooling into which two or more
companies may enter. Under the present
interstate-commerce law the commission
has no authority to make a rate that shall
be fair, it's functions ending with a show
ing that a rate is unreasonable or unfair.
Senator Elkins's bill gives the commission
positive authority to declare a just and
reasonable rate. which declaration shall go
into effect in thirty days unless a United
States court shall decide that the rate OF
the commission is unjust. This is similar to
the provision in bills presented by Senator
Cullom in previous Congresses.
The element in the country which does
not regard the railroad as the agency upon
which more than any one other depends the
growth and well-being of the Nation is UNI
important. Only the silliest of demagogues
now bowls against the railway as an evil
to a community. Tc be successful and to
perform its functions to the country the
investments in railroads should be upon a
fairly paying basis. To that end rates OF
transportation should be adopted that will
enable the railroads to earn returns upon
such properties at a fair valuation. That
is one of the elements which should enter
into the equation when rates Of transpor-
tation shall be fixed. 1t is right that rail
road corporations enjoying special powers
and privileges by legislative grant should
be under the strict supervision of the
agents of the people, with authority tC
make them just to all and fair to the cor
porations. To insure justice to all shippers
and a fair remuneration for railroads is q
vastly more important subject than the
oleomargarine and like bills.