The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-06
Hill TALKS BOLDLY
Refers to FutiIity of lnjunc-
tons to Control Railroads.
SURVIVAL OF FlTTEST
Is the Only Law Which Can
Govern the Case.

Chicago. III. Nay ST believe in the
survival Of the fttest in the railroad
world the same as I do in ali nature
and all affairs Of men. It is the natural
law. and its operation is as inevitable
as the original sin of man
This is one of the things that James
J. Hill said today in response to q ques-
ton regarding his opinion of the govern
ments attempt TO control railroad rates
through the medium of injunctions is
! sued by the United States circuit court
The connection between the reply and
the subject was soon made plain by the
celebrated railway magnate and fnan-
cier. He explained that the injunction
method Of attempting to cure the evils
that anIct the trac and transporta-
J ton world was simply a subterfuge and
a futile attempt to arrest the progress
Of the natural law of the survival Of
the dttest.
The doctrine thus publicly espoused by
Mr. Hill is one that has been tabooed
in the railroad world ever since the So
called community of interests Of the
spirit engendered thereby began opera
ton.
When asked the question regarding in
functions, Mr. Hill at first replied with
another question: Does it not seem
strange that the railroads should seek
TO be restrained from destroying one
another? They are seeking it. or at
: least permitting it to be done without
protest. 1t is as inevitable as death
that in the end the railroads that are
best equipped and best situated to carry
the traffic win get it, and the rest will
be forced into retirement. Yes, it will
amount in the end to the survival Of the
dttest"
Mr. Hill thought a moment, and then
exclaimed: And pray tell me why
this should not be the result? Does
not the law 1 speak Of operate in
everything else Why should it not oper-
ate in the railroad world as well as in
the commercial world? Stop and think
moment. Is there any logical reason
why one railroad that cannot carry the
traffic as cheaply as another should say
TO the latter, Give me portion of your
earnings or 1 viii destroy your"
1T is held by many railroad men," It
was suggested, that the conditions are
different in the railroad world from those
ruling il the commercial world. The
rails and the equipment and the fran
chises are there and cannot be torn up
| and thrown away"
why not?" demanded Mr. Hill in
his quick. imperious way rs there
any reason why or anyone else should
be compelled to pay for the mistakes
that have been made in the investment
of capital in railroads which by the very
nature and conditions of their sur
roundings cannot be remunerative? 1t is
not so with q manufacturing plant. 1t is
built, and if its operation is at a loss,
if it cannot manufacture and market its
product as cheaply as its neighbor. what
happens? Does its neighbor hand it over
a portion of its business?
Don't for a moment be deceived by
any of the many subterfuges that are
being employed to hinder the operation
OF the law Of which 1 speak. The legis-
latures Of many states and the national
government are bending their energies
in that direction. but all the governments
and all the legislative bodies in the word
cannot stop its operation. They may
obstruct it. but they can never arrest
its operation. Therefore say that the
injuncd0ns issued 10y the courts to re-
strain rebates and secret rates are the
merest folly"
Has the community Of interests ef-
fectually arrested the operation of that
law" was asked.
There is no such thing as the COM
munity Of interests. That is the merest
rot and twaddle-a term originated and
employed by the press Of the country.
The only community of interests that
can or ever viii exist Is the community
of interests between the shipper and the
railroads. No; that community of inter
est is not receiving its fullest exempli-
ncation, but it VIII so soon as the law
of the survival of the fttest shall have
had its sway i'm the railroad world"
ar I'M explained that the operation
of the law spoken of did not mean war
fare among railroads. but simply the
unhinGered operation Of inactive" com
petition Competition" he continued.
'is of two kinds. inactive and active.
The former is the true law of comped-
tion and means IN the railroad world
thar the road which can carry the traflic
the cheapest and make a legitimate
profit gets Jho business. Why shouldn't
the people be given the benefit of the
cheapest rate that can be made iegiti-
mately2 That is what win come in the
end
Active competition. on the other
hand IS war, runious war. and Is an
o,her name for the secret rate. the re
bate and the preference of one shipper
over another. There can be no rates ex-
cept by agreement. Did YOU ever think
Of thate Without the agreement it is
not a rate. for it may be made at
o'clock and changed at 10 o'clock. or
made by one road ut the former hour
and met by the other road at q later
hour
Asked what he thought Of legaIized
pooling as panacea Tor rate ills. Mr.
Fil foreihly exclaimed: Pooling is IN
famous. infamous in any form. Il never
brings about the end sought. ard II Is
simply one If the subterfuses Of which
spoke 70 hinder 1he operation Of the
inevitable law Of nature and the uni
, AND THEATEDl