Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-10-19
Except Where There is
No Other Alter
native.
REGULATION SUFFICES
Speech Delivered at Raleigh on
Tour Through the South
ern States.

Raleigh. y. c.. Oct. 10 Presiden;
Roosevelt and party arrived in the city
at $50. They were greeted by Lieut..
Gov. Winston and Mayor Johnson with
military escorts and a citizens COM
mittee. The party proceeded at once
10 the state fair grounds.
Warmly Greeted.
Many people greeted the president
"a the station with volleys of cheers.
These were repeated again and again
as ne passed along the street in a car
riage bowling to right and left. waving
his hands in greeting 10 the little
children.
On the way to the fair grounds
the president stopped at the senate
chamber where he presented. on be
half of the North Carolina Literary so
ciety a handsome gold loving cup TO
John Charles McNeill OF Charlott. as
a reward for having produced the best
piece of literature in the state during
the year.
introduced by Winston.
The president was introduced by
Lieut.. Gov. Winston, who spoke of the
pleasure felt by North Carolina in
having the president as it's guest, and
in the name of all the people welcom
ed him. The president spoke in part,
as follows:
IL do not believe in government own
ership of anything which can with pro-
priety be left in private hands. and ir
particular / should most strenuOusly
object 10 government ownership of
railroads.
But | believe with equal firmness
that IL is out of the question for the
government not to exercise a super
visory and regulatory right over the
railroads; for il is vital to the well
being of the public that they should be
managed in a spirit of fairness and jus
tice toward all the public.
Must BE Controlled.
Actual experience has shown that
il is not possible to leave the railroads
uncontrolled. Such system. or rather
such a lack of system. is fertile in
abuses of every kind. and puts a pre-
MUM upon INSCRIPTIONS and ruthless
cunning in railroad management; for
there are some big shippers and some
railroad managers who are always will
ing To take unfair advantage of their
weaker competitors. and they thereby
force other big shippers and big rail
road men who would like 10 do deCently
into similar acts of wrong and injus-
tice, under penalty of being left be
hind in the race for success.
Government supervision is needed
quite as much in the interest of the
big shipper and of the railroad man
who want 20 do right as in the interest
of the small shipper and the consumer.
Experience has shown that the
present laws are defective and need
amendment. The effort 10 prohibit all
restraint of competition. whether rea-
sonablc or unreasonable. is unwise
What We need is to have some admin
istratiyc body with ample power to
forbid combination that is hurtful to
the public. and TO prevent favoritism
To one individual at the expense of an
other
Aim H. Fair Treatment.
In other words. We want an admin
istrative body with the power to secure
fair and just treatment as among all
shippers who use the railroadS-and all
shippers have a right To use them.
We must not leave the enforcement of
such a law merely TO the department of
justice, II is out of the question for
the iaw department of the government
To do what should be purely admins
trative work. The department of jus
tice is 20 stand behind and cooperate
with the administrative body. but the
administrative body itself must be
given the power To do the work and
then held TO strict accountability for
the exercise of that power. The de-
LAYS of the law are proverbial. and
what we need in this matter is reason
able QuicknesS of action.
The abuses of which we have
genuine right 10 complain take many
shapes. Rebates are not now often
given openly. But they can be given
just as effeCtivel in covert form: and
private cars. terminal tracks and the
like must be brought under the control
of the commission or administrative
body. which is to exercise supervision
by the government. But in my judg-
ment the most important thing to do is
10 give this administrative body power
10 make its findings effective. and this
can be done only by giving it power