Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1905-12-02

insult to one of the greatest and most
progressive branches of business in the
United States. Such a commission |
could not be appointed and carry out
the ideas of the president. 1t would be
an absolute impossibility for any body |
of men, no matter how large and no
matter how we'll organized, to deal
properly with the business which would
come before them according to the
presidents IDEAS. furthermore con-
slider that the appointment of such a
commission would be unjust and would
not accomplish any of those things
which the president thinks it would ac-
compIish. It would give rise to every
sort of dissatisfaction. There are no
men in this country competent to sit
on such commission except some of
the old, well-trained railroad officials,
and these men, knowing what would be
before them, would be unwilling to
serve. l consider the whole idea en-
tirely Cup in the air. 1t is the dream
of the enthusiast who hungers and
thirsts for reform, and has no practical
idea of how it can be accomplished. |
am not adverse to President Roosevelt.
think in a crest many things he is a
fine man, and I feel perfectly loyal to
him as president of the United States,
but | think he is too ambitious to cor
rect all the evils that exist in the world
at the same time. AS | said in my
article a few weeks ago, the business
world and the other world, are full of
wrongs and evils which need correcting,
and the chances are. that very few of
these evils will be corrected during our
lifetime. The principal thing about
business evil is to determine who it
hurts, and those evils which do not hurt
anyone in particular are apt to go on
until the end of time. have frequently
had something to say about this govern
ment regulation of railroad rates, and
have shown some of the objections to
it. 1t is unnecessary to repeat any Of
these things now. thoroughly agree
with the sentiments in the presidents
Samuel Spencer's speech delivered
week or so ago. If the government is
going to appoint a commission to tell
railroads what they shall charge for
hauling freight, the next step will be
to have a government committee ap-
pointed to tell brokers how much com
mission they shall charge on their stock
and bond transaction. Why not have
the government run everything? If a
railroad cannot make its own rates,
why should a department store be al
lowed to fix the prices they charge for
various articles? Some people think
that extortionate prices are, asked for
neckties? Why not hive the govern
ment come in and say that no necktie
shall be sold for more than $3.50? 1t is
invariably the case hat when any adj
mlnistcative body has the power to fix
prices or regulate rates, the public are
the ones to suffer. The service is al
lowed to deteliorate or the quality OF
the article sold degenerates. If the
price OF neckties is fixed at $1.50 a man
is not going TO buy for that price tie
which he has been accustomed to buy
for So. 50. He will get cheap rag in
stead of a fine necktie, and that will
be the same way with railroad rates.
If the government commission CON-
rnanded a railroad to charge so much
for hauling freight between certain
points and this rate was considerably
lower than the one they charged before
the railroad would Immediately cheaper
( it's service in order to cut down the ex-
penses to meet the cut in the freight
rate. No commission could possibly be
appointed who would make success OF
this business along the lines outlined by
the president. hope TO see the bill
when it comes before congress igno
miniously defeated, and I thoroughly
believe that any such bill viii fail K
pass.