The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1905-09-29

;ntoerahle One cannot we'll imagine anything Dut pus
ness failures and general confusion if the postal service
of the nation were conducted by hundred or Thousand
different concerns, trying to carry iettefs or TWO '
.ob If the low fat rates on mail possible only be-
the enormous profits of city or section will com
nensate for the losses of hundred villages
We wond welcome national ownership Of the railroads.
nrimarv because it would enable the public to have Hat
meape rate lower than the lowest present through rate on
oven the largest shipments But government ownership is
not the present issue presented to-day That 1t will soon
no presented squarely and crucially, we believe.
And we believe so, because, despite Attorney General
Moodv's legal knowledge and ability, unconvinced
hv bS ARGUMENTS that the government has the power to
daepate to the Interstate Commerce Commission any
other subordinate body the right to dierenate in rate
making awe do believe that the government itself has
clear right to exercise this power The whole policy OF
the government tariffs taxes, charges Tor govern
mont services rendered. has been Stat rate policy, any
given service by the costing the same in any
and every section. There is precedent OF custom anu
we fail to see wherein the government has legal right to
make allowances OF freight rates because of differences OF
distance and transportation facilities as between any two
points with reference to some main central production
noint of beer or whisky From the cold business govern
ment viewpoint is difficult to understand how govern
ment could claim derentatng power as affecting the re-
aons between the private railroad and the grain dealer
while not possessing that power between the government
itself and citizen or subject
DESPITE our unaerabe desire to have some unqueson-
able mower nut an end forever the many names prac
tced by railroads. we extremely skeptca as to the
right actual supposed to either exercise
or delegate to commission the power to make dferen-
a rates for private corporations and unless such power
he legally established in advance government rate making
would in all likelihood disturbe and general material
interests more than would ameiorae any Of the many
evils to which the public is by the unscrupu
ous exercise of power by of the great transportation
concerns.
We would welcome convincing argument that the gov
ernmen has the right that Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Moody
believe to be vested in the government 1t would greatly
bettea the rate situation affecting the great body
shippers and through them the whole body OF the people
But so long as Others sincere and as intellectually ab
as Mr., Roosevelt or Mr.. Moody, differ with them, tn
Senate committee ought be accorded at least averag
courtesy and average confidence while is bling deep
and widely into problem which, fnot settled properly
apt to be made worse instead of better And If it be es
ablished that the not legally exercise tn
mower to derentate in making then should the PEG
pe insist on only solution OF the transportato
problem ownership by the government and operation &C
cordpg to the same sound principles that have made tn
postal service the only satisfactory postal
, vice in history.-Baton Rouge Times.