The independent., 1905-03-23
REASONABLE RATES
A Brief Sketch Of the Character oi
Railway Traffic Managers

1
Railway Traffic Managers
In former letters we have quoted a
few of the rates on carload shipments.
Let us leave that subject moment,
to study the character of the men who
are responsible for our rates and who
are now so loudly demanding that rate
making be left in their hands.
Mr.. James J. Hill of the Northern
Securities company is afraid rate-mak-
ing by national authority will result
in lowering the wages of railway en-
ployes. To calm his fears In that
matter, we can assure him there is no
cutting Of wages among postal en-
ployes, because of the two-cent uni
form rate on letters; which rate ap-
plies to all men and all localities and
which is always uniform. Mr.. Hill
where best known, If current report
be true, is classed among the philan-
thropists who donate an egg while
stealing a hen Mr.. Hill is an up-to-
tographed in the fable Of the wolf
who stood up stream in the creek and
accused the lamb who stood lower
down Of riling his drinking water.
Mr. Marvin Hughitt, president Of the
Chicago & Northwestern railway, ad-
mits there can be no competition un-
der uniformity of rates, but protests
at any extension of the commission S
powers to make uniform rates on a
reasonable basis.
An editorial in the Chicago Record
Herald, February 8, says: "If it is
possible and practicable for one set
of railroad men in New York to make
all the rates, it is equally possible
and practicable for one set of govern
ment officials in Washington to make
the rates."
In the Kansas City Journal of Feb
ruary Z, President Underwood of the
Erie road, is reported as favoring laws
that will prevent rebats, but he is
alarmed at possibility Of other than
railroad magnates making rates. The
same authority quotes Milton H.
Smith, president of the Louisville &
Nashville road, as contradicting Speak
er Cannon's reported statement that
it was originally supposed the inter-
state commerce law conferred power
upon the commission to make rates.
President Ripley of the Santa Fe is
a shining example of one exercising
autocratic power over quasi-public tax
ing and who utterly fails to grasp the
fact that the power of eminent do
main places the road under obliga-
tions to do business with the public
on one-rate-basis. He is as brutally
ignorant of the obligations to the pub
lie under which the roads can be justly
operated, as would be Comanche In
dian. In the Record-Herald of Dec. 81,
1904, he is quoted as saying: "The
law is violated largely because of utter
unbelief in it's equity" He overlooks
the fact that such excuse for law
breaking would liberate all less law
breakers than himself, who are now i'll
confinement, for no convict believes
the law just one that convicts him. 1t
is evident Mr.. Ripley thinks the law
commanding that one shipper be treat
ed as is every other, is void of equity.
Perhaps because of that reason, his
road gave rebates to the Colorado Fuel
& Iron Co. and destroyed the rights,
business and property of the Gale
donia Coal Co. Any thief or public
law-breaker has the same ground of
defense. He is further quoted as say
ing: "The rebate system was means
for the railway to exercise judgment,
not discrimination" BY the same tok-
en-, if your clerk steals from you, he
semply exercises his judgment-it be-
comes poor Judgment only when it is
found out. We are to suppose that he
and Mr.. Paul Morton simply exercised
Judgment when they issued the coal
tariffs which were false in every par
ticular; and it is possible, Mr. Nor
ton now thinks it was poor judgment.
His road and all others issue class
rates and to particular cities on par
ticular goods, issue commodity" rates
which he believes to be exercise of
Judgment" but which are in every case,
determinations. If he owns stock in
corporation that is competing with
another company his exercise of judg-
ment" makes a secret rate, which
when discovered, he excuses by say