Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-11-18
Able Adress Of Prof. hugo
Mayer Before New Orleans
Borad Of Trade
CoMl&sls Between Class Interests and Sec.
6easl DMlesssests Sure 10 be PFscipi.
tMed. Compsemise the Best
Remedy

Professor Hugo r. Meyer, Of the Uni.
versity of Chicago. addressing the
New Orleans board Of trade yesterday
on the subject Of rate-fixing by the
, Interstatei Commerce commission,
because the commission would use
the power In, such a way as to precipi.
tate great conflicts between sectional
interests and class interests. 1t Is re-
volutionary because the commission
would use that power for the purpose
curtailing that freedom to trade over
and throughout the entire territory of
the United States that II was the pur-
pose of our f0refathers to establish
and guarantee when our forefathers
established the United States. 1t is
revolutionary because 1t would make
the Interstate Commerce commission
a little deputy congress clothed with
power to make and unmake the policy
of our nation in matters Of the ut
most conflict OF sectional interests
and class interests"
After citing many cases to prove
that the decisions Of the commission
injured the business Of one part Of
the country in favor Of another part,
the professor continued:
The foregoing DECISIONS Of the
commission show that whether or not
one will deem certain rate just or
unjust, reasonable or unreasonable.
tdependg entireiy snpcn the standard
one applies II one believes ones
country to be United States, which
knows no, Atlantic seaboard, no. Ohio
River valley, no Pacific coast, NO
Michigan or Kansas. but one wide
United States, Of which the most dis
tant parts should be encouraged IL
trade with each other he will not ad.
NIT that the long and short haul de-
cisions Of the commission tended to
preserve and promote the public vel.
fare"
BY further citation OF cases PROBES
sor Meyer showed that when com.
plants from shippers in short haul
territory were decided by the com,
Z mission the result was that precisely
in SO far as the commission succeed.
ed in that effort, 1t deprived farmers
in other points Of the benefit of nat.
ural competition. On the other hand
the efficiency of the roads In carrying
grain and other staple articles caused
a natural and commercial adjustment
more accurate than any commission
could have effected.
/ Speaking Of criticisms made by the
Supreme court upon actions OF the
commission. the professor said that
these criticisms apply to all OF the
leading cases in which the Interstate
Commerce commission has condemnec
great and beneficient American rail
way practices--practices which have
knit our country together by the bond
of trade in manner In which no other
country Of large area has been knit
ytogether. and have developed the re-
= sources of the country SO that the
country has become to Europe
source OF wonder and despair. In con-
demning the great American railway
rate practice, the commission has read
into the act to regulate commerce
such doctrines as the following; that
It was the intention Of congress TO
maintain and promote commercial ad
yantages resulting from location; and
to prevent the railways from relieving
localities from disadvantages arising
from location, inferiority of resources
high cost of labor. insufficiency OF
capital to establish the best and most
modern plant. etc"
"Tbe development and the progress
of country" declared Professor
Never in conclusion. necessarily i'm
niles constant changes in the course
of trade. constant shifting Of the cen
ters of agricultural and mineral pro
duction, as we'll as constant changes
IN the seats Of the manufacturing In
dustries. The building up OF values
at one point often means the impair
ment Of values at another point. The
only thing that can be done under the
circumstances is to effect the best
., mpromise that can be effected. And
uycn that point the verdict OF all ex
ner,ence Is that II one would avoid