The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-12-14
Presidents message

Il GUILTY. Cledetu Ill lutClSldtC tAahAN 80
shall summary and effectively prevent
the imposition of unjust or unreasonable
trates. 1t must include putting q com
plete stop to rebates in every shape and
form. This power to regulate rates, like
all similar powers over the business
world, should be exercised with modera-
ton, caution and self-restraint; but il
should exist, so that it can be effectively
exercised when the need arises. The
first consideration to be kept in mind is
that the power should be affirmative and
should be given to some administrative
body created by the Congress. If given
TO the present interstate commerce COM
mission or to a ~reorganize1 interstate
commerce commission, such commission
should be made unequivOcally admins
trative. l 90 not believe in the govern
ment interfering with private business
more than is necessary. L do not believe
in the government undertaking any work
which can with propriety be left in pri-
vate hands. But neither do / believe in
the government fiinching from overseeing
any work when it becomes evident that
abuses are sure to obtain therein unless
there is governmental supervision. II
is not my province to indicate the exact
terms Of the law which should be en-
acted: but l call the attention of the
Congress to certain existing conditions
with which it is desirable to deal. In
my judgment the most important pro-
vision which such law should contain is
that comforting upon some competent adj
ministrative body the power TO decide,
upon til case being brought before it,
whether a given rate prescribed by a
railroad is reasonable and just, and if
it is found to be unreasonable and un.
just, then, after full investigation of
L tho oouan1atpt 70 nrocar,ho tho limit ~
rate beyond which it shall not be lawful
to go-the maximum reasonable rate, as
it is commonly called-this decision to 60
into effect within a reasonable time and
to obtain from thence onward, subject
to review by the courts. A heavy pen
atty should be exacted from any corpora
ton which fails to respect an order OF
the commission
Illegal transa ctions often occur under
the forms of law. 1t has often occurred
that q shipper has been told by 8 traffic
officer to buy a large quantity of some
commodity and then after it has been
bought an open reduction is made in the
rate to take effect Immediately, the ar
rangement resulting to the profit of the
one shipper and the one railroad and to
the damage of all their competitors; for
it must not be forgotten that the big
shippers are at least as much to blame
as any railroad in the matter of rebates.
The law should make it clear so that no.
body can fail to understand that any
| kind of commission paid On freight ship
ments, whether in this form or in the
| form Of fictitious damages, or of a con-
| c~ession, a free pass, reduced passenger
| rate, or payment of brokerage, is illegal.
1t is worth while considering whether
it would not be wise to confer on the
government the right of civil action
against the beneficiary Of a rebate for
at least twice the value of the rebate;
] this would help stop what is really black
I mail. Elevator allowances should be
stopped, for they have now grown 10
such an extent that they are demoraliz-
ing and are used as rebates.
The best possible regulation of rates
would, OF course, be that regulation Sc
| cured ty an honest agreement among
| the railroads themselves to carry out the
law. Such a general agreement would.
for instance, at once put a stop to the
| efforts of any one big shipper or big rail
| road to discriminate against or secure
advantages over some rival; n such
| agreement would make the railroads
| themselves agents for enforcing the law.
| The power vested in the government TO
| put q stop to agreements to the detri-
| ment of the public should, in my judg-
ment, be accompanied by power to per-
nit, under specified conditions and care
| full supervision, agreements clearly in the
interest of the public. All private-car
lines, industrial roads, refrigerator
| charges. and the like should be expressly
| put under the supervision Of the inter
| state commerce commission or some SIM
| liar body so far as rates, and agreements
| practically affecting rates, are concerned.
The priyate-car owners and the owners
| of industrial railroads are entitled to a
| fair and reasonable compensation on
their investment, but neither private cars
nor Industrial railroads nor spur tracks
| should be utilized as devices for securing
preferential rates. A rebate in icing
charges, or in mileage, or in a division
of the rate for refrigerating charges is
just as pernicious as 4 rebate in any
other way
There should be publicity of the ac-
counts Of common carriers; no common
carrier engaged in interstate business
should keep any books or memoranda
other than those reported pursuant tc
law or regulation, and these books OF
memoranda should be open to the inspec'
ton of the government. Only in this
way can violations or evasions Of the
law be surely detected. A system of ex'
animation Of railroad accounts should
be provided similar to that now conduct
II ell luIO Tile udtlouul UdnuS W tnC Udun
examiners; a few first-class railroad &C
countants, if they had proper direction
and proper authority to inspect books
and papers, could accomplish much in
preventing willful violations of the law
urge upon the Congress the need Of
providing for expeditions action by thu
interstate commerce commission in al
these matters.
The question of transportation lies a
the root of all industrial success, and tn
revolution in transportation which ha'
taken place during the last half ~centur,
has been the most important factor il
the growth of the new industrial con6i
tons. Most emphatically we do no
wish to see the man of great talents
refused the reward for his talents. Still
less do we wish TO see him penalized
but we do desire to see the system o
railroad transportation so handled tina
the strong man shall be given no advan
tage over the weak man. We wish t
insure as fair treatment for the small
town as for the big city: for the SINAI
shipper as for the big shipper. VIVA
we need to do is to develop an orderl.
system: and such a system can onl.
come through the gradually increased ex
ercise of the right of efficient govern
ment control.
The Congress should provide, by ap
propriate legislation, for the introduction
of block signals upon all railroads en-
gagged in interstate at tn
earliest practicable date, as a measure o
increased safety to the travelling public
The excessive hours of labor to whic
railroad employees in train service ar
in many cases subjected is also a matte
which may well engage the serious al
tention of the Congress.
I0hOP md CaDff0l.
The national government has as 4 rul