The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-11-15
Says Legal Restrictions OH Traf.
tic Would Be Farcical Were
They Not a Tragedy.
EQUITABLE RATES DEMANDED.
Claims Conferences on Transpor.
tatiOn Charges Are Necessary,
but Those Attending Are
Liable to Imprisonment.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Chicago, Nov. 1t ,-esent
form of railroad regulai 10 es-
sential to securing and =, eouita-
Die and stable rates, wit. - business
world demands. is specifically prohibited
by law"
This is the reply made by A. c. Bird,
traffic director for all Gould lines, when
asked TO explain what he meant by his
statement at the banquet of the Illinois
Manufacturers Association that the exist
ing system Of railroad legislation Is in
efficient and unjust.
Mr.. Bird said that he would admit that q
railroad corporation is a quasi-public serv-
ant. and. as such. should be regulated
by law, but. like any other corporations,
its property rights should be fully respect
ed and protected by the Government.
In order to understand Mr.. Birds posi-
ton in the matter. it is necessary. he said,
10 remember that State and Federal poll
ICY. so far as shown by legislation, mad
been to encourage competition in every
possible way and to prohibit under severe
penalties anything tending to restrict It.
Presumably. on this theory. thousands of
millions of dollars have been appropriate
ed by the Government to the Improvement
of harbors, lakes. rivers. bayous and ca
mails, and yet no attempt has ever been
made to exercise rigid control over water
transportation.
And yet railroads." exclaimed Mr..
Bird. must pay for what they use and
Tor this privilege must submit to Strin-
gent and contradictory legislation. while
expense of the taxpayers, is exempt
from legislation"
OBLIGATIONS HAVE BEEN PAID.
The land grant and bond aid given to a
few railroads did not contradict this po-
sition. Mr.. Bird said, because the obliga-
ton has been repaid to the Government
many times over. Mr.. Bird admitted the
existence OF abuses in the railroad sys-
s sem; iu' of Sa'd the anes svS Tefe the rr natural ihe oS ns
cart to the fast freight service. He ad-
mitted, however, that some form of cor
receive legislation was necessary.
unfortunately" he declared. when the
time for action comes political exigencies
dominate and political rather than COM
mercial necessities give direction to leg
islative measures"
Mr.. Bird then pointed out the incon-
sistencies as he saw them In the existing
statutes regulating the transportation
question.
1.-The original interstate act
he said. prohibited secret or n other
form of unjust discrimination and required
all rates not only to be reasonable per Sc.
but relatively reasonable. This was all
there was of 1t which seemed to affect
commercial interests. On the face of 1t
it was perfectly reasonable n just.
Other parts of the act provided means Of
enforcement and contained various prohi.
billions and requirements which. taken all
together, made up the most contradictory,
scheme Of regulation to be found on the
statute books.
2 POOLING Is PROHIBITED.
Pooling or other means of agreement
between rival carriers calculated to in
sure stability of rates and prevent whole
sale territorial discrimination was pro-
hibited. thus emphasizing the determine
ton to perpetuate competition. The long
and short haul provision was the very
opposite of the antipOoling clause. 1t
levied an immense tax against any road
engaging in business at competitive points.
THE Sherman antitrust act soon fol-
lowed the Interstate law"
said Mr.. Bird. land 1t is now q high crime
and misdemeanor for two or more agents
of rival carriers to agree on rates, rules
or regulations Of rates, or any other thing
which possibly affect the prices Of trans
portation.
Look a moment at a railroad map of
director. See how roads cross each other
at every conceivable angle; how they par
allel each other; see how many, running
in opposite ns directions enS t feaeh ss may y II 'I Is
possible without conferences and agree
ment between competing companies to ad.
just rates eQuitably at all Of the thousand
cities. towns and villages. so as to pre-
vent unbearable conditions. and yet such
agreements are punishable by fine or i'm
prisonment, or both.
EFFORT AT UNIFORMITY.
STUDY the effect Of varying freight
classifcations. Recall the years OF la
borious effort to approximate uniformity.
the lack of which underlies the worst
form of discrimina ton. and then recall
the fact that whoever engages In an EFFORT
to correct this evil Is a felon in the eyes
of the law.
at is not sufficient to say that In the
matter of classification work there Is no
liability of indictment or conviction. .Ev-
cry Individual who engages in the work
must take his chances of fine and impris-
onment, and every corporation that per
mits its employees to do SO must carry the
risk OF fines. Rates SO agreed on are un-
lawful, but such agreements are necessary
10 the prevention Of transportation an
archy.
1T seem to me that it must occur to
any one who gives the question careful
study that the laws bearing upon trans
portation would be a tremendous farce
were they not a national tragedy"