New-York tribune., 1903-04-11
NOT TO BE THOUGHT OF.

Merchants
excellent work in the public interest, especially
in connection with the defeat of the Ramapo
Job. and we hope it may be able and inclined TO
repeat such services hereafter II occasion re-
auires. Just at present however. as we are con-
strained to think, the association is endeavor-
ing TO spread itself over too large field, and
consequently failing to make the best use of its
zeal and energy. This impression has been
strengthened BY the perusal of fabricated cir
cuIar In which the association advocates its bill
now before the legislature to increase the mem
bership and powers of the State Railroad Com
mission According to the associations own
account of this measure, 1t contains at least one
remarkable feature, which is thus described
Under this bill any twenty citizens, by making
written demand can cause a formal inquiry by
the commission into complaints, and If the COM
mission finds cause it may order the railway
company to provide additional facilities or
abolish abuses complained Of which order the
company must obey forthwith. The company
NAV appeal to the courts. but the order of the
commissioners must be obeyed pending the
appeal
Nothing In this world is much easier than 10
procure a host of signatures TO any sort OF pc
tition. and the procurement of mere score
would be bagatelle. We dare say disun-
guished array of names could be obtained in
Il few hours in support of prayer for the exc
cution of Mr.. Vreeland In front of the City Hall
on the first fair day, though. of course the pc
titioners would be much astonished when they
subsequently ascertained what they had asked
for Certainly there would not be the slightest
difficulty in getting twenty names attached to
any one of hundred possible complaints Some
of them might be just, but many of them would
probably be trivial, unwarranted or absurd. Yet
every one of them would compel "a formal in
T,,-th tho n whose
time would be wofully wasted in consequence.
But suppose the complaint seemed reasonable
to the commission? In that case it might order
the company concerned Ito provide additional
facilities or abolish abuses" at the commissions
discretion and the company would have to
"obey forthwith" The order might be annulled
after longer or shorter interval by the courts,
but in the mean time the company might have
been compelled TO spend a great amount OF
money and perhaps have subjected the public 10
immense inconvenience. In case, for example,
the commission ordered underground trolleys TO
be installed on all the Brooklyn lines, If the in
tent of the law were to be fulfilled work would
begin forthwith" and half the streets of Brook
lyn be ripped up. only TO be restored, perhaps.
TO something like their former condition after
period of chaos. through judicial decree. In
point of fact we suppose that the appeal TO the
courts would result AT once III an lnJuHciIOn, so
that the purpose of the law would be utterly
defeated. But if the designed object could he
accomplished the Railroad Commission, which
is always likely to be up to its ears in politics,
is wholly unfit TO he intrusted, for many inn
mediate practical purposes. with the powers of
a court of last resort-or rather, we should say,
with those of an absolute despot
We entertain strong suspicion that this bill
of the Merchants Association. if it should be-
come a law, would be found TO be of such
character that not merely coach and four but
railroad train could be driven through it as
easily as not. Nevertheless, il may be worth
while 10 call attention the matter an illus
tration of The way in which good design is
often badly executed. and also for the sake of
suggesting that an organization of public spirited
citizens is in danger of frittering away its inf1u
ence and losing its enviable reputation by per
mitting overeager committees 10 deal in its
name with grave questions after a haphazard
fashion.