The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-12-08

/ trlN radical or nasty AttiNn AN hiHt
thing 20 do Is 10 deal with tine great
corporations engagcd IN the business
OF interstate transportation As / said
IN nay message of December last the
/ immediate and most pressing need. 50
I FAR As legislation is concerned IS the
I enactment into law ot some scheme 70
secure 10 me agents Of the govern
meut such supervision and regulation
on the rates charEed hy the railroads
OF The country engaged in Interstate
traric as shah spmmariiy and enee-
I lively prevent the imposition % unjust
/ or unreasona bile rates. II must include
putting "A complete stop TO rebates n
/ every shape and form This power TO
regulate rates like an similar powers
\ over the business world. should De eN-
ercised with moderation. caution and
self-restraint. but IL should exist so
thar Il can be effectively exercised
when the need arises
The first consideration 20 be kept
in mind is that the power should be
affirmative -~H should be given TO
some administrative body created by
the congress II given 20 the present
interstate commerce commission or TO
reorranized interstate commerce
commission such commission should
be made uncquivocally al administrative.
90 not believe in the government in
terfet1ng with private business more
the government undertaking any work
which can with propriety be left in
private hands. But neither do be-
lieve IN the government hinching from
overseeing any work when II becomes
evident that abuses are sure 10 OBJ
tain therein unless there IS govern
mental supervision. IL Is not my prov
ince q Indicate the exact terms OF the
law which should be enacted, but 1
call the attention OF the congress TO
certain existing conditions with which
IL il desirable TO deal In my Judg-
ment the most important provision
which such law should contain is that
comforting upon some competent adj
ministrative body the power n decide.
upon the case being brought before II.
whether A given rate prescribed by
railroad is reasonable and just. and
II IL is found 70 be unrea sonable and
unjust then after full investigation
Of the complaint % prescribe the limit
~ rate beyond which Il shall not be
lawful 10 Eo-the maximum reason
able rate as IL - commonly called
this decision 20 60 into effect within a
reasonable time and 70 obtain from
thence onward subject 10 review by
the courts II sometimes happens al
present not that rate is too high
but that a favored shipper is given too
low 4 rate. In such case the commits
sion would have the right to fix this
already esta hlished minimum rate as
the maximum and il would need only
one or two such decisions by the COM
mission 20 cure railroad companies Of
the practice of giving improper mini
mum rates call your attention TO
the fact that nv proposal is not TO
give the commission power to initiate
or originate rates generally but TO
regulate rate already fixed or orgi-
hv ha p "A
and after investigation. heavy
penalty should be exacted from any
corporation which fails to respect an
order OF the comrni ssion I regard this
power 10 establish a ma ximum rate
as being essential 20 any scheme Of
real reform IN the matter % railway
regulation The first necessity Is to
secure III. and unless Il is granted 70
the commission there is little use in
touching the subject az all
Rebates Really Blackmail.
Illegal transactions often occur IN
der the forms OF law. II has often oc-
CURED that a shipper has been told
by n traffic officer 70 buy n large
quantity OF some commodity and then
after II has been bought an open re-
dnctfon is made n the rate 10 take
! effect Immediately. the arrangemeni
resulting 70 the profit OF the one ship
per and the one railroad and 20 the
/ damage OF all their competitors. fpr
il must not be forgotten that the big
Y shippers are at least as much "a
4 blame as sny railroad in the matter
OF rebates The law should make il
I clear So that nobody can fail 20 under
I stand that any kind ~ comm issi on
paid on freight shipments. wh-sher ir
this form or tn the form OF fictitious
/ damages. or OF conces sion. n free
a. \ nfn rtar u.
ment OF brokerage. IS illegal Il Is
worth while considering whether 4
/ would not be wise 70 confer on th'
/ government the right OF civil actor
against the beneficiary or a rebate foi
at least twice the value ~ the rebate
this would help stop what is reall,
1 biackmaH Elevator allowances should
be stopped. for they have now grown
10 such an extent that they are de
moralizing and are used as rebates
Tho best possible regulation OF rate
would OF course. be that regulation
secured bv an honest agreemen
among the railroads themselves &
carry out the law. Such genera
agreement would for instance. at ono
put stop 20 the efforts Of any on
big shipper or big railroad 10 dis
criminate against or secure advan
tares over some rival: and such agree
ment would make the RI ilroads them
selves agents for enforcing the law
The power vested in the government
to put n stop TO agree nents 70 III
detriment Of the public should in m
Judgment he accompanied bv power z
permit under specified conditions an
careful supervision. agreements clear
" in the interest OF the public But
in my Judgment the necessity 70
giving this further power is by n
means as great as the necessity 70
giving the commission or adninistra
tive body t,e other powers hav
enumerated tbove. and il may vel
be inadvisable to attempt 20 vest thi
particular power in the commission o
other administrative body until II al
} rendv possesses and is exercising wha
regard as by far the most importan
~ All the powers I recommends in
deed the vitality important power
that 10 AK a given maximum rate
which rate. after the lapse " reason
! able time goes into full eject. snoleo
10 review by the courts
All private car lines Industrial road
! refrigerator charges and the like shout
ha expressly put under the supervise
Of .he Interstate commerce ccrlsnlssio
: ar some similar body So far az rates an
: agreements practically anectlng rates az
concerned The private carr owners an
the owners % Industrial railroads are er
.s.s-r g.. "a a. ami reason = BILE rn~s4urr II