The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1902-01-31
NO QUIBBLING HERE
Governor Mcbride On the Vexed
Railroad Question.
wants the Trust Broken. and Reads
the Corrupt Lobbyists
the Riot Act.

Olympia, Jan. 25.-Governor Mcbride
successor to the late Governor Rogers,
| speaks in no uncertain tones in a state.
ment of his attitude toward RAILWAYS
given out today.
1t Is at once declaration of war on
the railroad trust, and a sarcastic and
effective arrangement of the Northern
Securities company. 1t clearly defines
the policy of the governor in the matter
OF railroad commission, and shows
that the fight for commission. all hut
won at the last session of the legislature.
is to be renewed. few vigorous re.
marks on the subject of corrupt Hobbies
will also make interesting reading for
the railroad corporations that have
heretofore maintained them at Olympia.
The statement follows:
''Since there has been, ana is as vet in
this state, no public agency to protect
the people in the matter of railroad
rates. they have had to rely upon COM
petition alone for protection. Competi-
tiOn between the roads has not proved
to be an adequate protection to pub
lie interests, but even that partial safe
guard has been removed. For some
time past there has been no real com
petition between the great railway
systems serving the people of this state.
This absence OF competition has been
brought about by means of the same
individuals acquiring a controlling in
terest in the stock of the formerly com
petlng lines, and the obtaining of this
controlling interest has given rise to the
so,called community of interest opera
ton of these roads.
The basis of such a combination of
interests is necessarily insecure, because
OF the many individual factors in it. 1t
is like chain of many links, the break
ing OF any one of which would be dis
astrOus to the whole. One OF the indi-
viduals might die, or sell his holdings to
another. Either event might destroy
the combination. For this reason the
promoters OF the community -of-interest
idea were not satisfied. So, in order to
BOlldify the chain and make it a bar of
steel, thus perpetuating their control, a
scheme was shrewdly devised to form a
gigantic corporation to which a ma
| IOrity of the stock of each competing
line should be transferred, the indiyidu-
| ais receiving, in return, stock of the new
| company, which stock might change
hands freely without in any way dis
turbing the control.
"The Northern Securities company is
that corporation. However the com
munity of interest is created or main
| talned, the result is the sitting OF COM
! petition.
IAN action has been commenced in the
| supreme court of the United States by
| the state OF Minnesota, against the
Northern Securities company, the OBJ
| l5ct OF which is to restrain the latter
| from carrying out the purpose for which
| 1T was called into existence. But no
matter what the result of that suit may
| be, action on the part of the people will
be necessary to protect their own inter
ests.
Suppose the injunction prayed for
should be granted, is the danger at an
| end? Ii the same parties own or con-
| troll a majority of the stock of the Great
| Northern and the Northern Pacific, what
is to prevent them from throttIing all
competition? True, a corporation, such
as the Northern Securities company may
| be the instrument best adapted for ac-
| cOmplishing their purpose, but without
such an instrument the same end could
| be attained. The destruction of the
Northern Securities company, if that can
| be accomplished, would be step in the
| right direction, but would not, in my
| Judgment, be a complete cure for the
evil.
1.-The apologists for this combination
contend that there is no danger in it to
the people, and yet they are compelled
to admit that so long as these roads
are run not in competition with each
other, it is within the power of those
controlling them to charge such rates as
they may see fit. They contend, how
ever, that there is no danger, for the
reason that it would be against the
interests of the combine to squeeze the
lemon dry
cit is not q comforting thought to
know that the security of the people Is
dependent upon the good will, or favor,
of this combination. No self respecting
community can accept as a favor what
it is entitled to as a matter of right
Instead OF the people being dependent
for fair treatment upon the good will, or
the whim, or the mere caprice, OF this
combination, they should be in a posi-
tiOn to regulate and control these rail-
roads. In other words, they should
adopt such measures as would the most
easily and readily enable them to en-
force their rights.
The remedy for the threatened evil is
a simple one. and that remedy is within
the power of the people if they see fit TO
apply it. Ii each of the states through
which these railroads run had a railway
commission, clothed with ample power
to fix rates within the state, and to cor
rect abuses therein, and if the interstate
commission had power to do the same
thing as to interstate traffic, there
would not, in my judgment, be any
great danger in the so-called community
OF interest plan, for the people would
then be in a position, through these
commissions. to protect their interests
and to enforce their rights. The people
OF this state can compel the passage OF
railway commission bill, clothing CON-
mission with power to regulate and con-
troll passenger and freight rates within
the state, and to prevent unjust dis
elimination, and to remedy such abuses
and evils as may be found to exist, in
cluding the reduction of rates where ex-
tortionate. They can, also, through
conventions and legislatures, instruct
their representatives at the national
capital to use their utmost endeavors to
enlarge the powers of the interstate com
mission.
"True, some of the incense burners at