Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-12-07

roads, refrigerator charges and tnt
like should be expressly put unde,
the supervision Of the Interstate com
merce commission or. some slmilnl
body SO far as rates and Agreements
practically affecting rates are con
cerned The private ear owaors anc
the owners of Industrial railroads ar,
entitled TO fair and reasonable com
pensation on their investmer. hut
neither private cars E-r udusttia
railroads nor spur tricks -hould be
utilized as devices for securing prefer
ential rates. A rebate In icing ohars
es, or in mileage, or iu a division OF
the rate for refrlsernting charles is
| Just as pernicious as n rebate In any
other way. NJ lower rnte ahopld m.
ply on goods imported than actually
obtains on domestic good frcm tne
American seaboard to destination ex.
| cept In cases where winter comneti.
| ton is the controlling Influence. There
should be publicity of tie accounts of
common carriers. no common carrier
engaged in interstate business should
keep any boks or memoranda other
than those reported pursuant to law or
regulation. and these bobks or memo
randa should be open 10 the inspec-
tion OF the government Only IN this
way can violations or evasions OF the
law be surely detected. I A system CT
examination Of railroad accounts
should be provided similar to. that
now conducted into national banks by
the bank examiners; few first class
railroad accountants, II they had prop.
er direction and properi authority to
inspect books and papcfs. could ac
compiish much in preventing wulnl
violations of the law. II would not
be necessary for them to,eNamine into
the accounts OF any railroad unless
for good reasons they We're directed
to do so by the interstate commerce
commission. II Is greatly TO be de.
sired tnat some way might be found
by which an agreement as to trans
portation within state intended to
operate as a fraud upon the lederai
interstate commerce laws could be
brought under the jurisdiction OF the
federal authorities. At present IL oc-
ours that large shipments Of inter
state traffic are controlled by conces-
sions on purely state business, which
of course amounts to an evasion OF
the law. The commission should have
power to enforce fair Treatment by
the great trunk lines of lateral and
branch lines.
urge upon the Congress the need
of providing for expeditions action by
the interstate commerce Commission
in aDsthese matters- whe s,ss ~ 47e,s,,.
lating rates for transportation or for
storing or for handling property or
commodities in transit The history
of the cases litlgated under the pres
ent commerce act shows that It's ef.
tcacy has been to a great degree de
stroyed by the weapon of delay. al.
most the most formidable weapon in
the hands Of those whose purpose 1t
is TO violate the law.
Let me most earnestly say that
these recommendations are not made
in any spirit of hostility TO the rail-
roads. On ethical grounds. on grounds
of right. such hostility would be IN.
tolerable, and ON grounds OF mere ma
tional self-interest we must remember
that such hostility would tell against
the welfare not merely OF some few
rich men, but of a multitude OF small
investors, multitude oil railway en-
ployes, wage workers. and most Sc
yerel.' against the interest of the pub
lie as a whole. ! believe that on the
whole our railroads have done well
and not ILL., but the railroad men who
wish TO do well should not be exposed
to competition with those who have no
such desire, and the only way to se-
cure this end Is to give TO some gov.
ernment tribunal the power 10 see
that justice is done by the unwilling
exactly as 1t is gladly done by the
willing. Moreover, II some govern.
ment body is given increased power
the effect will be to furnish authorita-
tive answer on behalf OF the railroad
whenever irrational clamor against II
Is raised, or whenever charges made
against K are disproyed. ask this
legislation not only In the interest oil
| the public but in the Interest OF the
honest railroad man and the honest
shipper alike, for II is they who are
chiefly jeoparded by the practices OF
their dishonest competitors. This
Legislation should be enacted in a
spirit as remote as possible from hys-
terra and rancor. II we OF the Ameri-
can body polite are true TO the tradi.
| tions we nave inherited We shall al
ways scorn any effort to make us hate
any man because he Is rich, Just al
much as we should scorn any effort
10 make US look down upon or treat
contemptuously any man because he Is
poor We judge man by his conduct
that, is by his character-and not
by his wealth or intellect. II he
makes his fortune honestly, there Il
no just cause OF quarrel with him. In
deed, we have nothing but the kindIi
est feelings of admiration for the sue
cessful business man who behaves de
Gently. whether he has made his sue
cess by building or managing a rail
road or by shipping goods over tina