Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-10-19

many interests but in dollars and cents
to the government. The importance to
the southern people of protecting the
southern mountain forests is obvious.
These forests are the best defense
against the floods, which. in the recent
past, have, during a single twelvemonth,
destroyed property officially valued at
nearly twice what it would cost to buy
the southern Appalachian reserve. The
maintenance of your
Southern Water Powers
is not less important than the preven-
tion of floods, because If they are in
juerd your manufacturing interests will
suffer with them. The peTpctuation of
your forests, which have done so much
for the south should be one of the first
objects of your public men. The two
senator's from North Carolina have
taken an honorable part in this move
ment. But l do not think that the peo-
pie of North Carolina, or of any other
southern state, have quite grasped the
Importance of this movement to the
commercial development and prosperity
OF the south.
The position of honor in your parade
today is held by the Confederate veter-
ans. They by their deeds reflect credit
uopn their descendants and upon ali
Americans, both because they did their
duty in war and because they did their
duty in peace Now If the young men,
their sons will not only prove that they
possess the same power Of fealty to an
luedl DuL Will also SNOW lne eIltlenCN
in the ranks of industrial life that their
fathers, the Confederate veteranc
showed that they possessed in the ranks
of war the Industrial future of this
great and typically American common
wealth is assured.
The extraordinary development of in
dustralism during the last half century
has been due to several causes but
above all to the revolution in the meth
ods of
Tranenortation and Hopoyoupir atioy,
that is to steam and to electricity, to
the railroad and the telegraphy.
When this government was founded
commerce was carried on by essentially
the same instruments that had been in
use not only among civilized, but among
barbarian, nations, ever since history
dawned that is by wheeled vehicles
drawn by animals, by pack trains, ano
by sailing ships and rowboats. on land
this meant that commerce went in slow
eumberous, and expensive fashion over
highways open to all. Normally these
highways could not compete with water
transportation, If such was feasible be-
tween the connecting points.
All this has been changed by the de-
velopment of the railroads. Save on the
ocean or on lakes so large as to be
practically inland seas, transport by
water has wholly lost its old position OF
superiority over transport by land
while instead of the old highways open
to everyone on the same terms, but of a
very limited usefulness, we have new
hghways-railroads- are owned
by private corporations, and which are
practically of unlimited, instead of limit
ed, usefulness. The old laws and old
customs which were adequate and
proper to meet the old conditions need
radical readjustment in order to meet
these new conditions. The cardinal fea-
lures in these changed conditions are,
first, the fact that the new highway,
the railway, is from the commercial
standpoint, of infinitely greater import
ance in our industrial life than was the
old highway, the wagon road; and sec
ond, that this new highway, the rail-
way, is in the hands of private owners,
whereas the old highway, the wagon
road was in the hands of the state.
The management of the new highway
the railroad or rather of the intricate
web of railroad lines which cover the
country is a task infinitely more diff
cule, more delicate, and more i'm
portant than the prmitively easy task
of acquiring or keeping in order the old
highway; so that there is properly nc
analogy whatever between the two
cases. | do not believe in government
ownership Of anything which can with
propriety be left in private hands, and
in particular l should most siren
uously
object to Government Ownership
of railroads. But l believe with equal
firmness that il is out Of the question
Tor the government not TO exercise "A
supervisory and regulatory right over
the railroads; for 1t is vital to the we'll
being of the public that they should be
managed In a spirit of fairness and JUS
tiCe toward all the public. Actual eN-
perienCe has shown that IL is not pos
sible to leave the railroads uncontrolled
such a system, or rather such a lack
Of system, is fertile in abuses Of every
kind, and puts premium upon unscru-
pulOus and ruthless cunning in railroad
"a e.
shippers and some railroad managers
who are always willing to take unfair
advantage Of their weaker competitors
and they thereby force other big ship
pers 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 sue
cess. Government supervision Is needed
quite as much in the interest Of the big
shipper and of the railroad man who
want to do right as in the interest of
the small shipper and the consumer
Experience has shown that the pres
ent laws are defective and need amend
ment, The effort to prohibit all res
traint of competition, whether reason
able or unreasonable, is unwise. What
We need is to have some adminlstra-
tive body with ample power TO forbid
combination that is hurtful to the pub
lie and to prevent favoritism 10 one in
diyidual at the expense Of another In
other words, we want an administra-
tive body win the power 10 secure
Fair and Just Treatment
as among all shippers who use the rail-
roads-and all shippers have a right 20
use them. We must not leave the en-
focrement Of such a law merely TO the
department Of justice; it is out Of the
question for the law department of the
government to do what should be pure
- administrative work. The depart
ment OF justice is to stand behind and
cooperate with the administrative
body, but the administrative body itself
must be given the power 10 do the
work and then held 10 strict account
ability for the exercise OF that power.
The delays Of the law are proyerbial
and what we need I'm this matter is
reasonable quickness Of action.
The abuses of which we have "a gem
uine right to complain take many
shapes Rebates are not now often
given openly. But they can Doe given
just as effectively in covert form; and
private cars, terminal tracks and the
like must be brought under the control
Of the commission or administrative
body, which is 10 exercise supervision
by the government. But in my judg-
ment the most important thing to do Is