The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-10-19
OF Railroads Of the Country
By The Government
BUT FAVORS REGULATING
Also Opposes Government Ownership Of
Other Utilities When They Can
Be Left in Private Hands
With Propriety.

Raleigh, n. c., Oct. President
Roosevelt reached Raleigh at nine o'clock
this morning. He was escorted to the
Capitol and then went to the fair
grounds, where he made an address The
plan originally made for Raleigh conten-
plated breakfast at the Governors house,
but the sudden death Of Governor
Glenn's brother neeessitated the cancel
lation of that part of the programme.
The lieutenant governor took the gov
ernor's place in welcoming the President
TO the city.
In his address President Roosevelt
touched upon the preservation Of the
forests and then turned to the matter
OF government control of public utilities.
He stated that he is opposed to gov
ernment ownership OF railroads, but be-
lieyes that the government should have
a regulatory right" over them. He said
in part:
Il do not believe in government own
ership of anything which can with pro
priety be left in private hands, and in
particular l should most strenuously
object to government ownership Of rail-
roads But [ believe with equal firm
ness that it is out Of the question for
the government not to exercise super
visory and regulatory right over the
railroads; for it is vital 10 the we'll
being OF the public that they should
be managed in a spirit of fairness and
Justice toward all the public Actual
experience has shown that it is not pos
sible to leave the railroads uncontrolled.
Such q system, or rather such q lack
Of system, is fertile in abuses Of every
kind, and puts a premium upon unseru-
pulous and ruthless cunning in railroad
management; for there are some big
shippers and some railroad managers
who are always willing to take unfair
advantage Of their weaker competitors,
and they thereby force other big shippers
and big railroad men who would like to
do decently into similar acts Of wrong
and injustice. under penalty Of being left
behind in the race for success Govern
ment supervision IL needed quite as
much In the interest of the big shipper
and Of railroad men who want TO do
right as in the interest OF the small
shipper and the consumer
Experience has shown thatthe present
laws are defective and need amendment.
The effort 70 prohibit all restraint Of
competition. whether reasonable or un-
reasonable, IS unwise. What we need
il 70 have some administrative body
with ample power 10 forbid combination
that Is hurtful to the public, and to
prevent favoritism to one individual at
the expense Of another. In other words,
we want an administrative body with
the power to secure fair and inst treat.
ment as among all shippers who nse
the railroadsand all shippers have q
right to use them We must not leave
the enforcement of such a law merely
to the Department Of justices it is out
OF the question for the law department
of the government to do what should
be purely administrative work The De-
partmcnt oil Justice is to 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 a strict aceounta-
biIitv for the exercise Of that power
The delays Of the law are proverbial,
and what we need in this matter is
reasonable quickness of action.
@The abuses Of which we have gen-
uine right to complain take many shapes
Rebates are not now often given openly
But they can be given just as effectively
IN covert form; and private cars, termin-
al 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 Judgment the most important thing
to do is to give to this administrative
body power to make its findings effec-
tive. aud this can be done only by
giving it power when complaint is made
of o given rate as being unjust or UNI
reasonable, If it finds the complaint
proper, then itself to fix a maximum
rate which it regards as just and rea-
sonable, this rate to 90 into effect prac-
tically at once, that is within reason
able time. and to stay in effect, unless
reversed by the courts. I earnestly hope
that We shall see a law giving this
power passed by Congress- Moreover,
hope that by law power will be con-
ferred upon representatives of the gov
ernment capable of performing the duty
~ public accountants carefully to exam
ina into the books of railroads. when so
ordered by the Interstate Commerce
Commission, which should itself have
mower to prescribe what books, and what
books only, should be kept by railroads.
If there Is IN the minds Of the Commits
sion any suspicion that certain rail-
road Is in any shape OF way giving re-
bates OF behaving improperly, | wish
fbe Commission to have power as a
matter Of right, not as a matter Of
favor. to make a full and exhaustive
investigation Of the receipts and expen-
ditures Of the railroad, 50 that any yio-
lation or evasion Of the law may be
detected. This is not revolutionary
proposal on my part, for | only wish
the same power given in the reference
to railroads that is now exercised as a
matter 81 course by the national bank
examiners as regards national banks.
NV object in giving these additional