The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-25
AN IsrroRrANr CONFERENCE.

A step has been taken in the direc-
ton Of the adjustment OF the rail-
road problem. A number of gentlemen
of prominence called on the President
on Monday and asked him TO use his
influence to secure the enactment Of a
law that would give the Interstate
Commerce Commission power to fix
interstate freight rates. The President
didn't commit himself as to what he
would do in regard to the request.
Doubtless he wants to confer with
the leaders of his party before decid-
ing so important a matter.
The solution of the railroad problem
which these gentlemen suggested is
the one that viii have to be adopted
finally. 1t is practically impossible
to prevent railroads from combining
into great systems. 1t seems to be the
natural thing for them to do, and that
being the case it is impossible to Gre
ate a public sentiment against it suf-
fciently strong to prevent it.
And competition isn't what the
great majority of shippers want. 1t
is only what the great shippers want,
the great industrial trusts. The trusts
want competition because they are
able to force down rates. They have
such vast amount of freight that
they can compel the railroads to bid
against each other for their business.
In other words, they can practically
y,oalra thar own rates
The small shippers, however, can do
nothing of the kind. Hence they are
at the mercy of the railroads. Be
cause of their number they furnish
the bulk of the business which the
railroads get. If they could combine
they might also force down rates, but
that is impractical They want,
therefore, fair and stable rates. With
rates of that kind the trusts would
have no advantage of them.
The small shippers are beginning to
see this, and hence the conference
with the President. They don't care
to what extent the railroads combine
indeed combinations are benefit TO
them for the reason that the cheaper
the railroads can transport freight the
lower the rates of transportation will
be. And the chances are that the
railroads are beginning to take the
view that it would be best for their IN
terests to have fair and uniform rates.
They are getting tired of having TO
cut their rates in order to get the bus
ia1 trusts Az
it is now they are the slaves of the
trusts. They want to be masters OF
their own properties. 1t is probable
therefore. that they wouldn't object to
having the rates of interstate traffic
fixed by the government. They feel
certain that a commission would deal
more fairly with them than the trusts
do.
II wouldn't be advisable, however,
to place the duty of fixing rates in the
hands of the Interstate Commerce
Commission. That Commission has
all it can do now. A special commits
sion ought to be created to deal with
rates. And it ought to be composed
of railroad men. 1t is doubtful if the
members of the Interstate Commerce
Commission have such knowledge of
railroad traffic as to enable them to
make rates that will be fair to the
public and just to the railroads. Work
of that kind ought to be done by ex-
perts. OF course. the industrial
trusts, like the beef and sugar and
steel trusts. will oppose a commission
to fix rates. Their opposition will be
proof that they are the chief benefi-
Charles of competition.
The matter is highly important one
and the President can give his at
tention to no subject in which
larger number of people are more
profoundly concerned. If rates were
fixed by the government there
would still be competition. but
of kind that would insure
better service. That is another
thing the public wants. Rates estab-
Iished by the government would insure
fair and stable rates and good service.