The independent., 1905-03-23

go to the wall" Any school boy knows
that the theory OF our government is
that all citizens are to be treated in
all public functions, as equal before
the law. That Mr. Ripley believes that
railroading is wholly a private busi-
ness in which the public has no inter-
est, is shown by his remark, there
is no good reason why big institutions
should pay the same shipping price
that a retail concern does If he were
an importer he would, from the same
line OF reasoning, smuggle part of a
big importation on the theory that he
was entitled to lower rate of duty
than a smaller importer. Mr.. Ripley
and his ilk among railroad men are not
alone in that mistaken theory. The
average wholesale dealer and manu-
facturer does not grasp the idea that
an open field, wide as the nation for
him on which to Craze, is better than
the restricted and fenced in corrall on
the ton per mile basis to which he is
now confined. He is willing some
lordly merchant from "way down east
may come out on through rates and
Craze off the fruit and cream Of his
trade, provided the hated John Smith
company, who is in the next pen is
hObbled like himself
President George B. Harris of the
Burlington assumes the uncouth tac-
tics of the rustic from Arkansas and
in the Chicago Tribune of January Is,
is reported as saying: Railway rates
are not made by college professors and
can not be measured off with a rule"
If he means anything by his slur at
college professors and system, it is
that no rule, no theory, no plan nor
system is used in rate-making and by
inference, no fixed system should be.
There is a saying that the child and
fool adult will tell the truth The
statement Mr.. Harris makes contains
much truth. Mr.. Harris is an adult,
though not fool by any means, and
for that reason, the writer believes
him a child in rate-making. True to
the pose of the ignorance he assumes,
he is reported as saying: Il do not
believe in pooling" He must have
been playing to a gallery of grangers
who are supposed to shy at pools"
The Independent readers may be most
ly "grangers" but the writer gives
them credit for common sense. The
writer believes the road should pool
and do it in conformity to the law,
instead of doing it as they now do,
against the law. Mr.. Harris is further
reported as saying: "The people will
not stand for it (pooling), and as a.
railroad man do not like the scheme"
Mark Twain in his happiest vein of
humor, was never more funny than is
Mr.. Harris in that remark. No road
in the United States is more tied up
in pools, divisions of territory, combi-
nation rate sheets than is the Burling-
ton. Among other bright points in
his management of the Burlington is
his combination deal, which makes his
line desirable for the great common
herd to ship over. He says: There
is no extortion in freight charges"
Competition settles everything He
evidently takes long breath after
saying there is competition, for in
the next sentence he qualities by IF
IL 40 AAOe SOAIPOIlClOA OCCW OCA oil
roads, it is competition between local
tiles which settles what is charged"
He overlooks the fact that if Omaha is
charged 81 on rate that on ton per
mile basis should be so cents, that
every Missouri river gateway would be
satisfied with the same rate and Lin
coin would be satisfied If charged
$1.03. The consumer pays the freight
and so-called competition between To-
calities as now recognized by railways,
is simply "extortion" made uniform
Mr.. Harris gets down to brass tacks
and every word he utters has point
and shines like newly minted coin
when he says: "What each shipper
wants is to get low rate himself,
while the roads charge competitors
the full price" That statement is as
a rule, absolutely true and leads us to
repeat, as was noted in former let
ter: HE who would get equity must do
equity"
Railway managers are men of great
executive ability, and should be, but
rate-making should not be a part of
their work on the great engine of dis