The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-27
50 State Commissioners - 10
Have Railway Experience.
LAWYER AND FARMER
Half the Commissioners Belong
to Two Glasses.
Places Usually Given to Politi-
clans as Reward for. Services.

hands the nation and the states, to q
considerable degree. nave placed the
management of railway transportation
in this country, The Railway Age has
obtained a brief record of the public
career of Zach membe of the inter
state commission and of the
railroad commissions Of the 30 states
at present sustaining such bodies. The
interstate commerce commission is
composed of lawyers, with the excep-
ton of one member, who in a few weeks
is to give place to another distinguished
representative Of the legal profession.
The commission, therefore, does not
contain within itself any practical
knowledge Of the business of railway
transportation. OF the 80 men now
composing the 30 state railroad COM
missions, 90 are lawyers by profession,
although they represent only 20 of the
commissions. In 10 stateS-CalifOrnia,
louisiana Missouri, New York, North
Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, South
Carolina. South Dakota and Wisconsin
there is no lawyer in the list. There
are 10 farmers, planters or stock grow
ers, 10 merchants and manufacturers,
5 former railway employees, 4 former
railway officers, 3 civil engineers who
have had railway connections described
as business men," who have served
long in political office, and one or two
each who at some time have had ex-
{ O. hCFNERoROA CAANCAOs
physician and railroad contractor
T~hirty-two have been members of state
legislatures, 2 AVE been congressman,
20 nave had the advantage Of a college
education. 3 have been teachers. 1 has
been q judge. At least IS held public
office before they reached their present
positions. AS to the remainder, the rec
ord as to political activity is silent. In
the Is states where the commissions are
required to make for each railroad q
schedule of rates, it appears that the
former occupations of the members of
the body charged with the difficult
work were as follows:
Alabama lawyers, 1 cotton planter.
Arkansas lawyers, l merchant
manufacturer.
California railroad employee, 1 mer-
chant, 1 manufacturer.
Florida lawyer, 1 railroad con-
tractor. 1 farmer-merchant.
Georgia farmer, I lawyer, 1 former
railway officer.
illinois, lawyer, 1 manufacturer, 1
farmer.
Louisiana cotton broker. l sugar
planter. / cotton planter.
Mississippi planter, 1 lawyer, 1
commercial traveller.
North Dakota merchants, 1 bust
ness man.
South Dakota 1 physician-stock
raiser, / farmer, 1 farmer-merchant and
o~fficeholder.
South Carolina-3 farmers.
Tennessee lawyers, 1 lawyer-editor.
Texas lawyers, one of whom has
been a farmer, merchant and banker,
and another who has been a printer
and business man.
In the nine states where the commits
sion may change rates on complaint
there is g. still greater absence OF bus
mess experience, the majority being
lawyers and armers
In II of the states the railroad COM
missions are elected by the people,
namely: Arkansas. California. Florida, /
Iowa. Kansas. Kentucky. Louisiana
Minnesota. Mississippi, Missouri. North
Carolina North Dakota, South Carolina,
South ako Tennessee, Texas, Wis
eonsin. In u states they are appointed
bv the governor, namely: Alabama
Connecticut. Georgia, Illinois, Maine,
Massachusetts, Michigan. New Hamp-
shire, New York. Ohio, Rhode Island
and VermOnt In Virginia the legiS- |
lature elects the commission.
While evident advantages and disad-
vantages can be urged both for the
elective and the appointive methods of
constituting these bodies, 1t is some
what significant to note that in the
western and southern states, where
railway legislation has been most ex-
IRENE and unsatisfactory, the commits
siOns. as a general rule, have been
elected by the people. On the other
hand. in the states which have found
satisfactory results from a conserva-
tive supervision of the roads without
assuming the rate-making power the
commissions have. with few exceptions,
been appointed by the executive. AS to
the personnel of the commissions. the
higher order of qualification has been
obtained by states in which the selec-
ton of members Of the commission has
not been left to the influences control
ling political elections.
1t will be gathered from these rec
ords that the states do not undertake
to set any standard of qualifications
for the work of railway supervision
L--~aA 90 2-a- /
ence IN railway affairs is notably indi-
Gated. and. in fact, is generally de-
handed. Only 10 of the 50 state COM
missioners have ever had any connec-
ton with railways, and most OF these
have been subordinate employees,
selection has been due to po-
litical and industrial considerations
rather than to demand for experience
in rate making and operative prob
lens. Only three states require that
one member shall be experienced in
railway business, these being Maine,
New York and Georgia. The latter
railroad member has actually had ex-
ended experience in operative, ac-
counting. passenger and freight de-
partments. concluding with nine years
as trafic preceded by Is
years as general freight or general
passenger agent. Only FOUR states
%stipulate the occupation from which
railroad commissioners must be taken
These provide as follows: Connecti-
cut-one must be a lawyer. one a
civil engineer and one a business man;
Georgia-one lawyer, one experienced
in railroad business; Maine-One law
yer. one civil engineer, one railroad
man; New York-one experienced in
railroad business.
Care is taken in at least "a of the states
to provide that railroad commissioners
must not be interested in any railroad:
but there is no provision on the other
hand. that commissioner shall not be in
terestcd against the railways. as shippers
or ut 1a-UfSe Tn General If will he Geo,