The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-01-19
Regulation Of Railroad Rates

4, .xs. ans. 81 (. o2oclliin3g q,
Z III tic last number 81 tho Outl ools, q Mr..
Pan, aio5rffon,, ywll6 descril5ed Sec
rotary of n the Navy and eS-v ice-prest-
dent OF hoa9Atclison, Topeka and santo
Re Railroad, gives ls2ytieNs on the re"r;--l
ulation or 5lAllway ltes II by}SC Congress-,
rho glst Of his article Which, IS fa brief
one. is llat8rebates and Special prlVi-t
lcgcs, which discrimlnateSin favor Of ono
shipper gainst another, should bic eS-
terminated; thut The rates sthroughout5
United states arc themselves generally
reasonable-90 per cent OF tho complaints
being as to The relation OF rates rs be-
tween markets; that there are us many
rates in ha3,countly that arc too low as
there arc rates that a court would de-
cido to he too high; that the rates III
thIs country IRE one-thrd loWcr than;
anywhere else in the world, while wages
OF railway employees are 90 por cent. high
or, and supplies all bought in n high mar
proper regulation OF our railways by the
Federal government, but with that regu-
lation should come proper pro ction, and
that as the public should be protected
against rates too$lligh, tho railway should
be protected against rate that Is un-
reasonably low.
!; He Insists that the pooling Of earnings
should be legnlized, and that such con-
tracts. for this purpose as may be made
between railways should be enforceable,
upon no agreed arrangement railways eau
resist tho temptation Of the big Ship
pers ana protect their smaller patrons,
1t seems to lin that { the consolidation
OF railways Is o so on. eventually tho,
entire railways of the country will be IN
The hands OF a foW individuals or one
syndicate, and that this condition, Is
helped along rapidly by the absence OF
pooling. II tho consolidation islnot ar
rested. tho worst OF all the evils Is likely
to eventuate. and this Is government own
crshlp, with a1l tho intolerant tyranny
which such n possession would carry with
political powers. II !, sS (, h.
Mr.. Morton's proposition Is That the In
terstate Commerce Commission should
continue III It's present form for the
purpose OF making investigat Ions and
findings, and that if it finds a rate that
is unreasonable, either too high Or too
low, 1t should order such rate as 1t deem
reasonable, and il railways do not make
them effective in thirty days time, then
the whole matter should be referred to
a central court of transportation OF three
or five members to be created especially
to consider and expedite all questions
of Interstate commerce so far as the trans
portation OF the country Is CONCERNED
This regulation or rates would. OF
course. include railways nnd steamboat
lines engaged IN Interstate commerce and
any device whereby rebates, commissions
or preferential rates were allowed should
be severely punished
4 MI. Alort0n,s principal contention Is ~
favor OF permitting railways to dIylde|
their earnings or tonnage among Them
selves, filing all such agreements with the
Commerce Commission for lis
information, and that these contracts
should be enforceable ms between the rail-
way. This, he thinks, would insure to
-Lclr s:pal shipnaEs tAA lAMaSt gale, and q