Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1905-05-17
RAILWAY RATE ISSUE.
I Continued fro II page ~


objections to give the reader an idea
of what a great railway magnate has
TO say. President Roosevelt, in his
message to congress, heretofore re-
ferred to, emphatically declares the
issue:
1.-The government must, in an in
creasing degree, supervise and regu-
late the work of the railways in inter-
state commerce; and such increased
supervision is the only alternative to
an increase of the present evils on the
one hand, or still more radical policy
on the other. In my judgment, the
most important legislative act now
needed as regards the regulation of
corporations is this act to confer on
the Interstate Commerce Commission
the power to revise rates and regula-
tons, the revised rates to at once go
into effect, and stay in effect unless,
and until, the court of review reverses
it."
Governor Lafollette, the antitrust
governor of Wisconsin, says: mo ut
terance made by president in many
years has called for higher courage
or carried hope to as many struggling
business interests in the smaller cities
and towns of the c. dntry. Thoughtful
men everywhere are strengthened for
the great contest which is coming on"
We have reached a point in our his
tory where the people must control
the railways or the railways will con
troll the people. If we can have fair
and just railway regulations, then Salt
Lake and many other towns similarly
situated will grow rapidly into great
commercial centers; but if the rail
ways continue to discriminate against
our city, then it will continue to be
in the future, as in the past, stop
ping-off place for those going to the
coast. If Salt Lake had had fam
deal on railway rates, she would long
ago have been a city with more than
one hundred thousand population
Why have the cities on every side
grown so rapidly during the past
eight years, while Salt Lake, with
many more natural resources, has
grown so slowly? The answer is, I'M
just discrimination against it by the
railways. A carload of freight can be
shipped from Chicago to San Fran
cisco for the same rate as to this city,
yet it is $50 miles further and must
pass ONeT duOIner anu Inherent rail-
road.
The objections made by Samuel
Spencer are not well taken. They are
directly opposite to the views of our
president.
The right of the government to pass
such a law has been settled a long
time ago. Who pays the freight?
Jones advertises that, if you will buy
scales of him, he will pay the freight.
He is only trying to fool you, however,
because if you buy, you also pay the
freight. Every merchant in this city
adds the amount of freight to the cost
of the article which he sells. The dis
honest retailer who gets a rebate adds
the full amount of freight to the cost
price and pockets the rebate.
There would be no curtailment OF
building because the commission
would fix fair rates so the railways
would earn good dividends for their
stockholders. If the commission finds
that railway is paying dividends on
hundred millions of watered stock
representing nothing of value, paid tc
the company, it would be justified il
refusing to fix rates high enough tC
pay dividends on the watered stock.
The railway managers in the pas
have been spending their time making