Morris tribune., 1904-12-24
THE RAILROAD QUESTION.

"There will be either government owner
ship or government regulation o
the railroads. Which it will be depend
, mainly on the managers of the railroads. I
they do not want government ownership, the,
plan for preventing the endorsements of rates
which are unreasonable"
Commissioner Prouty only repeats warm
ng that has been stated almost times withost
number by individuals and newspapers whose
only interest in this matter is that justice shall
be done as between the railroads aud the PEG
!ple, declares The DuIuth Herald. He only re-
peats fact that is se1f-evident. Yet The New
York Sum- in that fine vein of sarcasm which il
no doubt believes is very blighting and wither-
ing comments in this way:
"Obkiged to choose between government
made rates and government ownership, can
there be any doubt to which the railroads
will select?
"Besidesr the commissioner says, "the rail
roads accumulated a greater surplus last year
than ever before Surely, only hidebound
hunkers will deny the right of the government
to decide that a railroad corporation is making
too much money and to cut it's income or, if
necessary, change its surplus into deficiency
"In Chicago, Commissioner Prouty serves
notice on the railroads. Doubtless, on his re-
turn to Washingtom he will give the necessary
orders to the congress-
It is entirely unnecessary for the commissioner
to serve notice on congress, Notice has already
been served on that body by the American
people, whose sentiments are expressed in
President Roosevelt's recent message.
Tt has long been an exploded theory that
because the people. once give monopoly, it can
do whatever it willis
The member of congress who fails to give
substantial endorsement to the presidents
program for vesting the interstate commerce
commission and courts with power to establish
equitable railroad rates will have the people to
deal with the next time he is up for reelection
and the verdict of the people is very likely to
be against him.
There is no disposition on the part of the.
general public to deal unfairly with the rail-
roads, but there is disposition to compel the
railroads to deal fairly with the people. tt is
about time for the organs of the corporations to
get out from under.
The appearance of a small fleet of Swedish
steamers as competitors for the carrying trade
of the Great Lakes seems to have awakened
some concern among American and Canadian
vessel owners, who have imagined themselves
secure in a monopoly of that immense traffic,
now the richest on any waters says the Pioneer
Press But American vessels have monopoly
only of shipments between American ports.
The traffic between tern1ini one of which is Ca
madam and the other American has heretofore
been shared only with Canadian craft. But
there is nothing to prevent the ships of any for
|eien nation entering into competition for this
latter, or for cargoes going from American to
foreign ports other than Canadian. The lakes,
the connecting streams and the st. Lawrence
are international highways as much as the
English Channel and the North. Sea. So this
Swedish invasion, with steamers which can
pass thru the Welland canal-manned by crews
satisfied with wages and fare far below the
American standard, and hence able to offer low
er rates-nay foretell the coming of Dutch, ltal-
ian and Japanese craft likewise, all eager for a
share in traffic their ignorance concerning the
existence of which has probably been the only
reason for their non-appearance at an earlier
date The navigation Of the ocean seems to be
which American inventiveness and administra-
tive ability is unable to offset the advantages of
cheap labor and habit of contentment, among