The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-12-01
RATES ANo Rate INEQUALITIES.
From the Washing Correspondent
New York Sun. Nov. .. l905.)

New YORK sun. Nov. .. 1909
In his Raleigh speech the President
advanced no new argument in sup
port of Federal control OF railway
rates. WitI characteristic vigor he
| pounded recognized evil for the sup
preston Of which existing laws are
only a little short Of duly adequate.
| He made no allusiOn 10 the possible
results OF stern and unrelenting en-
| fOrcement OF laws already provided
for the restraint OF what he calls "un-
scrupulous and ruthless cunning in
railway management" by which some
big shippers and some railroad man
ayers who are always willing to take
unfair advantage OF their weaker com
petitors force other big shippers and
big railroad men who would like to- do
decently into similar acts OF wrong
and injustice, under penalty OF being
left behind In the race for success"
This, which Is the main line OF the
Presidents argument, does not seem
to touch the principal issue OF the
present consideration, namely, the
question OF reasonable rates. Upon
the issue of the equality OF rates and
treatment for all shippers there Is
little room for argument. Shippers,
railways and the public are in general
agreement upon that point. With
some elaboration Of the present laws,
to which little or no objection will be
raised, the point Of unfair discrimina
tlon may be covered as well as 1t can
be. 1t IS doubtful if any such law
could be made absolutely effective.
But that Is an issue which is quite
distinct FROM the proposal 10 place
rate making powers In the hands OF
an administrative body. There ap-
pears to be confusion upon this point.
There Is wide difference between
the prohibition or any form Of unfair
discrimination between shipper and
shipper, or between point and point,
and the determination of rate charges
by a Federal commission II is to
the latter and not 10 the former that
objection is made. Mr. Roosevelt said
that actual experience has Shown
that il is not possible to leave the
railroads uncontrolled | do not |
know the exact period of this actual
experience. | am under IN impress
sion that railways are, and always |
have been. subject 10 a long list OF re-
straining laws, statutory as well as
economic
Our transportation system has made |
this country what it is today. Our de-
velopment has not come in spite of our |
IL -,
have crept in Is unbeatable. AbGses |
have Crept into our Government con
trolled postal system and into our Gov
ernment supervised and regulated |
banking system. But freedom of ac-
tion in rate making has enabled rail
ways to open enormous areas OF other
wise valueless land. and to distribute
the products Of our farms and our |
workshops i'm manner impossible un-
der restrained action. The history OF |
all state rate making shows the in
cvitable tendency Of that method to-
ward the fat distance tariff Such a
system in this country Of enormous
areas and distances would turn farms
into waste places and valuable ma
chinery into junk.
Nowhere in the entire range of the
railway discussion has IL been shown
that the country has suffered or that
it is suffering from excessive railway
rates Outside of individual in
stances, whose rarity makes them al
most unique, there has been neither
complaint Of excessive charges nor
Clamor for reduction by a Federal
commission. The call for rate regu-
latiou by a commission or by court |
does not come from our thousands |
upon thousands Of shippers. It is the
cry OF few who hope To gain by 1t,
augmented by the roaring OF non
shippers who have little or no knowl- |
edge Of transportation questions.
The country, the shippers and even
the railways will support the Presi-
dent in any effort to remedy evils, to
correct abuses, to stamp out inequali-
ties and unfair Determinations. But |
ii is not railway managers only who |
are staggered by proposals that a com
mission be empowered either To fix |
rates or to regulate railway tariffs.