The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1905-12-06

that the national government has power;
SO that there at present exists a very
unfortunate condition Of things. under
which these great corporatioss doing an
interstate business occupy the position Of
subjects without sovereign. neither any
state government not the national gov
ernment having effective control over
lnem. Our steady aim should be by leg
taken, but resolutely persevered in. to
assert the sovereignty of the national
government by affirmative action.
L am well aware of the difficulties or
me legislation that am suggesting, and
of the need of temperate and cautious
| action in securing it. / should emphati-
| cally protest against improperly radical
or hasty action. The first thing to do
is TO deal with the great corporations en-
gagged in the business of interstate trans
poration. AS l said in my mes ise CT
December 9th last, the immediate ana
/
as concerned, is the enactment into law
| of some scheme to secure supervision ana
regulation of rates charged by the ram
| roads of the country engaged Ia inter
| state traffic as shall summarily and Of
fectively prevent the imposition of unjust
or unreasonable rates. 1t must include
nuffinp cornnlata stor ~ ~anaraz ~
every shape and form. This power 10
| regulate rates, like all similar powers .,er
the business world, should be exercised
With moderation, caution and self-re-
straint; but 1t should exist, SO that IL
can be effectively exercised when the
iced arises. a 4aS
POWER SHOULD BE AFFIRMATIVE.
The first consideration to be kept In
mind is that the power should be affirm
ative and should be given to some ad-
ministrative body created by the con-
gress.
In my Judgment the most important
is that comforting upon some competent
administrative body the power to decide
| upon the case being brought before It,
whether a given rate prescribed by a
railroad is reasonable and just. and IL 1t
is found to be unreasonable and unjust,
then, after full investigationof the COM
plant. to prescribe the limit of rate be-
yond which it shall not be lawful to go
the maximum reasonable rate. as 1t IL
commonly called-this decision to go into
effect within a reasonable time and to
obtain from thence onward. subject to
review by the courts 1t sometimes hap
| pens at present not that a rate Is too
high. but that favored shipper Is given
too low rate. In such case the COM
mission would have the right to fix this
already established minimum rate as the
maximum: and 1t would need only one or
| two such decisions by the commission 20
cure railroad companies Of the practice
of giving improper minimum rates. l
| GALL 1OOh AllENIlON III It1E
FACT THAT MY PROPOSAL IS NOT
TO GIVE THE COMMISSION POWER
TO INITIATE OR ORIGINATE RA .-s
GENERALLY. BUT TO REGULAA E
A RATE ALREADY FIXED OR Oh.G-
MATED BY THE ROADS. UPON
COMPLAINT AFTER INvEsTIGA-
TIoN. A heavy penalty should be ex-
acted from any corporation which fails
to respect an order of the commission.
REGARD THIS POWER TO EST
LIsH A MAXIMUM RATE AS BEING
ESSENTIAL TO ANY SCHEME or
REAL REFORM IN THE MATTER OF
RAILWAY REGULATION. THE fIRsr
NECESSITY Is TO SECURE 1T: AND
UNLESS 1T IS GRANTED TO 4HE
COMMISSION THERE Is LITTLE USE
IN TOUCHING THE SUBJECT AT
ALL.