The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-01-05

The Thing They Want
From every part of the country
comes the cry for effective" govern
ment control of railroads and or gov
eminent ownership. Control has
however always proved Ineffective. ID
the nations of the earth hayG1 al
doned it except the Unit states. AS
long as railroads are ir;srccif;see:s y
the keenest intelleat viii be employed
to devise ways ID means to make
rates equal p - that the traffic will
bear. To- ke control successful
a neva6 Ending war must be waged
agair the owners, and the time OF
p courts, the legislatures and con-
y ess must be largely consumed in that
war. New schemes will forever be in
vented to increase the rates and new
methods must be devised to meet
them. With the government owner
ship of the roads, all that would dis
dppcdl. uC pAlsoCC wv nv ouip Va AoAA-
roads, besides the excessive rates coli
lected from the people, cost millions in
taxes. The courts are always crowded
with railroad cases of various sorts.
The time of marshals, sheriffs, juries
end witnesses is consumed and their
salaries must be paid by the people.
The latest wall comes from the fruit
jobbers. Mr.. E. M. Ferguson, who is
chief among them, asks what is the
remedy for railroad extortion and re-
plies to the question:
The remedy is efficient federal con-
troll that will keep our highways open
ID reasonable and equitable terms
al. Ne to all; the alternative, govern
NET ownership and operation of all
raiirc ADS. We are approaching one
or the other at a rapid rate.
This gentleman appeared before the
Fruit job ers' association at omaha
last week, md organic ID an active
campaign again extortionate rates
and rebates Win b the railroads have
lcng exacted from that business and
among other things said:
The exorbitant refrrgefator charges
the railway companies collect from
consignee and rebate to a. 1nour & Co.
is a simple process, whereby the car
rier steals from the people property
in the interest Of Armour & Co to be
used by that company as a fuad in
crushing out competition, and j, is
only question of time when all 1a-
dependent fruit dealers must give away
before these conspirators. The car
riers compel us to accept Armour &
Co. for our shipping business.
Again, Armour & Co. may withhold
cars from any particular point, when
and where large quantities of perish
able commodities are ready for ship
ment until the growers. despairing of
getting cars, part with their goods
fer song to some buyer secretly in
the employ of Armour & Co.
| would recommend the passage of
a law
First-That will empower the inter-
state commerce commission to adjust
and modify railroad rates, on COM
plant, substantially as provided in
the Quarles- Cooper bill now pending
before congress.
Second-Such as will require COM
mon carriers engaged in interstate
commerce to furnish all the rolling
stock and other instrumentalities for
the safe carriage of freight originating
on their several lines and forbid all
such carriers hauling cars carrying
freight of any and every description
that are not owned and controlled by
such carriers themselves or by other
common carriers, bona fide such, and
not created for any other purpose Pro-
hibit the use of private side and ter
minal tracks
Such a proposition would forever
eliminate the private freight car, side
and terminal track. and therein lies
the only safety for the Independent in
dustry and commerce. These are the
present greatest known sources of
Third-Provide that every charge in
cident to the safe carriage of freight