Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-11-16
RAILROADS OR PEOPLE
Which Shall Be Given the
Power to Fix Rates?
CORPORATIONS ARE MONOPOLIsTs

The Public Must he Protected From
Unreasonable Tax on Freight and.
Passengers The Democratic Posi-
ton Both Reasonable and just to
Shippers and Corporations.
The predicted attempt to confuse the
minds Of the people Oh railroad lcgisla-
ton through the railroad news bureau
is in full BLAST, but the arguments used
by the railroad writers are the same
old reasons that have always Been ap-
piled when railroad rate regulation
was impending. The fundamental rca-
son stated by the railroads why the in
terstate commission should
not be given power to fix Il reasonable
rate in place of II they have decided
is unreasonable is that the railroads
have the right to fix the price of theil.
Observation-Disclosures any
legal interference, just as Il manufac-
turer or any industrial corporation has
the right to fix the price it sells it's
products for to dealers or consumers.
But railroads are highways, lust as
the old toll roads were, and the right
OF the state to regulate their tolls has
always been upheld by the courts. The
federal government was given power
by the constitution to regulate inter
state commerce and the supreme court
has ruled that congress has the right
to fix rates for all interstate traffic.
The railroads have by general statute
or their charters been given the eX-
tr%aordinary right to take the property
Of the citizen, whether he wanted to
sell OF not, known as the right of emf
nent domain, and Il of the returns
for his investiture of railroads With
the sovereignty of the state, the high
est attribute Of sovereignty, was the
reserved right to say that the rates
they charge the public must be reason
able or the state or federal power will
step In and declare what is a reason
able rate and enforce it.
If the people did not have this power
to fix rules they would be forever, as
they are today, in the hands Of a giant
monopoly which without revolution
they could not relieve themselves Of.
Competition between railroads ex-
cept for through business from COM
peting points is impossible, and the
railroad customer must pay the rate
for transporting himself or his goods
that the railroad managers have decid-
ed upon. All the people who live on
a line Of railroad except at points
where other railroads cross or closely
approach it are compelled to use it as
their only means Of transportation.
There is no competition, and the
charges must be paid, however unrea-
sonable or ~confiscatory. Even at com
peting points there is q community of
interests between the corporations that
prevents competition, and if a differ
ence arises and rates are cut the mat
ter is soon adjusted. When it is con-
sidered that nine men control all the
great railroads of the country it is not
difficult for them to combine to charge
call the traffic will bear"
Hundreds of complaints are made by
shippers every year to the interstate
commerce commission that the rates
the railroads are charging are unrea'
sonable, and many are declared by the
: commission to be unreasonable. Bu1
the commission has no power under
the present law to fix a reasonable rate
I in place Of the n it has declared I'm
| reasonable, SO the railroad continues
to charge the unreasonable rate il
! most cases. Therefore the people are
: demanding that congress legislate ant
give the commission the right to fix I;
reasonable rate after hearing boil
sides-the shipper and the railroads.
The rates charged by street railroad:
and by cab drivers for transportation
are fixed by state law, or their charge.
would be unreasonable if left to charge
"all the traffic will bear,'' as the rail
roads declare is their right.
From late exposures we know tha'
railroads are constantly paying rebates
or making special rates to favored i Il
t%erests. Shall not the public participate
!. in this rate reduction? 1t is also know
that enormous profits are being realiZ
ed on even the watered stocks Of these
:, corporations. after paying large sal
p aries to officials and graft to inside
companies. The market price Of the
stocks of most Of the great railroads
nearly all of which is pure water
. shows that the charges are excessive
and will bear a great reduction an(
!, still keep even this watered stool
! above par.
That is the Democratic contention
+ and the Davey bill that the Democrats
in the last congress voted for was
+ drawn on those lines, with the provise
that if the railroads are dissatisfied
with the rate fixed by the commission
they can appeal to the courts, but the
new rate shall stand until declared I'm
: reasonably low and contiscatory to the
q corporation.
Who will say, except the railroads anC
! their attorneys and others hired to de
fend them, that the above plan Of regu
! lating rates is not reasonable and just