The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-16
Some Timely Evidence.

Some Timely Evidence.
Undoubtedly good many people who
realize the Importance Of government
of railroad rates are st1lll
honestly apprehensive Of the effects OF
intervention in railroad
So much has been SAID
bv the railroad men about the imprac-
Of government supervision,
and SO much as been made Of the claim
that under government regulation there
would not be sufficient elasticity IN
rates to serve the public to the best
advantage, that it is interesting to
know something Of the effect OF gov
eminent regulation in Germany, and
to know whether this government
interference has had a tenden-
cy to deprive the public Of those ex-
ceptional rates which are often nee
essary to the successful conduct OF com
mercial enterprises and the profitable
handling of the business Of the country
Attention is called to discussion Of
this subject in our Washington CORES
pondence today. It is not necessary
here to repeat the details as to the
actual results in that country, but it is
apparent enough from the instances and
cases cited, from the conditions de.
scribed and the great prosperity OF
German industry that government IN
tervention has not proved to be the dis
turber of business which has been pre-
dicted for it in this country.
1T appears from this showing, which
is made from official sources, that pc
culiar conditions are promptly met by
rate adjustments that serve all the pur
poses accomplished by the large liberty
in rate-making, which the railroad mer
insist must be accorded to them if the
commerce Of the country is to be
handled sto the best advantage for al
concerned. And this appearsstot be thu
case, too, in country, where there II
not only much larger exercise Of >au
thority over railroad rates than is con
templated in this. country, but wher'
there exists government ownership d.
we'll.
Certainly in this country, where it i
not proposed that the government shall
undertake to make a single origina
rate schedule, or in any large sens
take charge Of the operation Of tn
railroad, but where it is. simply con
templated that inequalities and injus
tees shall be righted when complain
is made, and where, after full heal
| ing, it is determined that injustice ha
been done, there is less reason to expec
i'll effects from government interver
ton than there would be in Germany.
1t will be noted in the Washingto
dispatches referred to, that not les
than 63 per cent of the total ton mi!
freight over the Prussian railroads j
1908 was dispatched under what al
called preferential" rates, which al
officially described as applicable I
agricultural and Industrial product
and intended to assist and facilitat
imports and exports and to increas
the traffic Of the country"
! : But the point Of particular intere'
in that connection is that, whatev'
exceptional or preferential rate
are provided, everybody is treate
alike, "a desideratum, as our corr
spondent notes, which it has bee
difficult to secure in similar adjus
ments by privately owned railroa'
here.'' This is matter Of the highe
! Importance and is really the end aimt
} at by all advocates Of government s
). pervision. and is something which ca
not be successfully resisted much Ion
er. The railroad is a public servan
, it discharges public function.
owes the same obligation of service
one citizen that it renders to anoth
under like conditions, and the time
coming when such an impartial servi
will be secured either thru private il
tiative or by governmental interfe
ence.