Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1905-12-08

OF interstate Ut lnSpOrIaIlOn. AS Sdlu
in my message of December G last, the |
immediate and most pressing need, so
far as legislation Is concerned, Is the
enactment into law of some scheme to |
secure to the agents OF the govern
ment such supervision and regulation |
OF the rates charged by the railroads |
of the country engaged In interstate |
traffic as shall summarlly and effec- |
lively prevent the imposition of unjust |
or unreasonable rates. 1t must include |
putting a complete stop to rebates in |
every shape and form This power to |
regulate rates, like all similar powers
over the business world, should be eX-
ercised with moderation, caution and
self-restraint; but 1t should exist, SO
that 1t can be effectively exercised
when the need arises.
The first consideration to be kept
in mind is that the power should be
Affirmative nod should be given to
some administrative body created by
the congress. If given to the present
interstate commerce commission or TO
reorganized interstate commerce
commission, such commission should
be made unequivocally administrative.
1 do not believe in the government in
terfering with private business more
than is necessary. l do not belieVe IN
the government undertaking any work
which can with propriety be LETT In
private hands. But neither do pc
iieve in the government fiinching from
overseeing any work when 1t becomes
evident that abuses are sure to oo-
tain therein unless there Is govern
mental supervision. 1t is not my prov
| ince to indicate the exact terms or the
law which should be enacted; but
call the attention of the congress TO
| certain existing conditions with which
| Ii is desirable to deal. In my Judg-
ment the most important provision
which such law should contain is that
| comforting upon some competent ad-
| ministrative body the power to declde'
| upon the case being brought before IT,
whether a given rate prescribed py
railroad is reasonable and just ana
II It is found to be unreasonable ana
unjust. then, after full investisatlon
of the complaint, to prescribe the nmlt
of rate beyond which 1T shall not ne
| lawful to go-the maximum reason
able rate as it is commonly called
| this decision to go into effect within a
reasonable time and to obtain from
thence onward subject to review py
the courts. 1t sometimes happens at
present, not that n rate is too hlsh
but that favored shipper is given TOO
low a rate. In such case the commls
sion would have the right to hN TINS
already established minimum rate as
the maximum; and II would need only
one or two such decisions by the COM
mission to cure railroad compa es OF
the practice of giving improper mini
|
the fact that my proposal is not &c
give the commission power TO initiate
or originate rates generally, but &c
regulate n rate already fixed or origi,
= mated by the roads upon complaint
and after investigation. A heavy
, penalty should be exacted from any
corporation which fails to respect ar
, order of the commission. l regard thl'
power to establish a maximum rat'
, as being essential to any scheme o
real reform in the matter OF rallwa'
, regulation. The first necessity is q
I secure it; and unless 1t is granted u
the commission there Is little use II
Y touching the subject at all.
n Rebates Really Blackmail.
j, Illegal transactions often occur un
e | der the forms of law. 1t has often oc
n Cured that a shipper has been toll
v by traffic officer to buy a larg
). quantity of some commodity ana the
q after 1t has been bought an open re
n duction is made in the rate TO tax
r effect Immediately, the arrangemen
A resulting to the profit of the one SNIP
. per and the one railroad and to tn
~ damage of all their competitors; 10
= II must not be forgotten that the bi
g shippers are at least as much
= blame as any railroad in the matte
. OF rebates. The law should make
,, clear so that nobody can fail to undei
u stand that any kind of commissio
- paid on freight shipments, whether
% this form or in the form of hctitlot
. damages, or of concession IRE
- pass, reduced passenger rate. or pa!
D. ment of brokerage. is Illegal. 1t
u worth while considering whether
H. would not be wise to confer on II
a. government the right of civil acut
n, against the beneficiary of rebate II
Id at least twice the value of the reoat
e. this would help stop what is real
r blackmail Elevator allowances shou
OF be stopped for they have now grow
We to such an extent that they are
moralizing and are used as rebates.
The best possible regulation OF rat
a. would, of course, be that reguia.l
"a secured by an honest agreeme
10 among the railroads themselves
eF carry out the law. Such gener
~. agreement would, for instance at on
',' put n stop to the efforts OF any o
~, big shipper or big railroad to al
ms criminate against or secure adVa
no taees over some rival; and such agre
m ment would make the railroads thei
'e- selves agents for enforcing the la
re- The power vested in the goVernme
le' to nut stop to agreements TO
ar detriment of the public should, In I
1t Judgment, be accompanied by power
he permit, under specified conditions a
by careful supervision, agreements clet
le- ly in the interest of the public b
'ur in my judgment. the necessity
Eli giving this 1uTtner po"eA ." ~
on Means as great as the necessity
zen giving the commission or admlnisti
las tive body the other powers ha
MS; enumerated above; and 1t may W
ere he inadvisable to attempt to vest I
re- particular power in the commission
The other administrative body until II
to ready possesses and is exercising WI
an I regard as by far the most imports
ur- of ali the powers I recommends
ing deed the vitality important powe
bod that to fix given maximum rf
I'M which rate, after the lapse OF reas
ion able time goes into full effect SUBJ
re- to review by the courts.
to All private car lines, industrial roi
as refrIeerator charges. and the like she
win he expressly put under the superv.'
ted of the interstate commerce commis'
ese ar some similar body so far as rates
by agreements practically affecting rates
iza- concerned The private car owners
on- the owners of industrial railroads are
Rad titled to fair and reasonable compel
YER tion on their investment, but neither
ton vate cars nor Industrial railroads nor 5