The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1905-12-07

acted from any corporation which falls
to respect an order OF the commission.
regard this power to establish a maximum
tate as being essential to any scheTe Of |
atal reform In the matter. Of railway
equation The first necessity Is to Sc
cue II; and unless II Is granted to the
commission there Is little use In touch
ing the subject at all.
Continuing. the President earnestly |
disclaims any spirit Of hostility to
the railroads. pointing out the bene-
fits to be derived by the fair-dealing
roads in the even-handed administra-
tion Of Justice. In this both the hon
est railroad man and the honest ship.
per alike would be benefited. Ending
the subject, the President says: \
. All private-car lines, Industrial roads.
refrigerator charges. and the like should
be expressly put under the supervision
OF the Interstate Commerce commission or
some similar body so far as rates, and
agreements practically affecting rates. are
concerned, The private-car owners owner ara
entitled TO a fair and reasonable compen-
sation on their investment but neither
private cars nor industrial railroads nor
spur tracks should be utilized as devices
for securing preferential rates. rebate
in icing charges. or In mileage or N
division Of the rate for refrigerating
charges Is just as pernlcious as a rebate
In any other way No lower rate should
apply on goods imported than actually,
obtains TO domestic goods from the
in cases where water competition Is the
controlling influence. There should be
publicity OF the accounts OF common car
riers; no common carrier enGaBsu III
interstate business should keep any BOOKS
or memoranda other than those reported
pursuant to law or regulation, and these
books or memoranda should be open to
the inspection of the government OILY
In this way can violations or evasons OF
the law be surely detected A system 81
examination of railroad accounts should
be provided similar to that now conducted
i,..1 tho nat,crc, henta Nv tne kc-'.
examiners; a few frs. class railroad az
colntarts, II they had proper direction
and proper authority to Inspect looks
and papers could accomplish. much IN
preventing willful violations OF the law.
It would not be necessary for them to
examine into the accounts OF any railroad
unless for good reasons they were direct
ed to do so by the Interstate commerce
commission. 1t Is greatly to be desired
that some way might be found by which
an agreement as to transportation with.
in a state intended to operate as fraud
upon the federal Interstate commerce
laws could be brought under the 1uris--
| dlctlon Of the federalS authorities. AZ
present 1t occurs that large shipments
OF interstate traffic are controlled by con-
cessions on purely state business. which
| Of course amounts to an evasion OF the
| law The commission should have power
| 10 enforce fair treatment by the. great
| trunk lines of lateral and branch lines.
| urge upon the Congress the need for
expeditions action by the. Interstate Com
| merce commission in all these matters,
| whether In regulating rates for tIanspor-
tation or for storing or for handling
| property or commodities in transit. The
| history of the cases Irrigated under the
| present commerce act shows that It's
| efficiency has been to great degree
destroyed by the weapon of delay, almost
| the most formidable weapon In the hands
OF those whose purpose 1t Is to violate
the law.
The question OF transportation lies at
the root OF all industrial success, and the
| revolution in transportation which has
| taken place during the last half century
| has been the most important factor In the
| growth OF the new industrial conditions.
| Most emphatically we do not wish to see
the man of great talents refused the ie.-
ward for his talents. Still less do we Wish
| to see him penallzed; but we do desire to
see the system OF railroad transportation
so handled that the strong man shall be
| given no advantage over the weak man.
we wish to insure as fair treatment for
the small town as for the big city, for the
small shipper as for the big shipper In
the old days the highway OF commerce,
was open to all; 1t belonged to the public
and the traffic along Il was free. At
present the railway is this highway. and
we must do our best to see that It IS Kept
open TO all on equal terms Unlike the
old highway 1t is a very difficult and
complex thing to manage. and It Is far
better that Il should be managed by
private individuals than by the govern
ment. But II can only be so managed on
condition that justice Is done the public
ownership of railroads Is highly undeslr-
able and would probably in this country
entail far-reaching disaster that ] WISH
to see such supervision and regulation
OF them In. the. interest Of the public as a.
will make II evident that there Is no need
for public ownership. The opponents Of
government regulation dwell upon the
difficulties to be encountered and me
intricate and involved nature of the prob
lem. Their contention Is true. It IS
complicated and delicate problem, and al
kinds of difficulties are sure 70 arise II
connection with any plan Of solution
while no plan will bring all the bepeflt'
hoped for by its more optimistic adher
ents Moreover under any healthy plan
the benefits will develop gradually and no
rapidly Finally, we must clearly under
stand that the public servants who ar
to do this peculiarly responsible am
delicate work must themselves, be Of tn
, | highest type both as regards Integrity am
efficiency. They must be well paid. TO
, otherwise able men can not In the lon
run be secured; and they must posses
! a lofty probity which will revolt as quick
| ly at the thought Of pandering to an
men as the thought Of anything eve
remotely resembling subserviency, to ric
men. But while fully admit the din
culties In the way. / do not for momen
admit that these difficulties warrant Y
, and just system. They should have n
|, other effect than to spur US on to n
: exercise OF the resolution. the even-hand
! ed justice, and the fertility Of resoutc,,
which wei like to think Of as TYPICAL
!. achieve good results in this as IN othe
E one and underiIes the task Of dealln
!, with the whole Industrial problem. Br
! the fact that i is great problem s d q
Z attempt 10 solve It. At present we fac
! such utter lack of supervision, sue
Z freedom from the restraints OF law. thi
:. excellent men have often been LITERAL
= forced into doing what they dcplore
:. mercy OF INSCRIPTIONS Competitors.
I, rail- at and assail the men who have dor
y as they best could under Sthe condition
\ acc0mplishes little. Whatswe need to I
4 Is to develop an orderly system; az
Y | such a system can only come throue
4 the gradually Increased exercise OF Il
I, right 81 efficient government control
!. The necessity for safety appliance
o on railroads. recommended In Ii
Y Presidents message to the last Coz
@ gress, Is emphasized, together wit
e the necessity for a law regulating h
. hours Of labor Of railroad men.
Z On the labor question, the me
y sage says: