Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-01-13
Friday, January 10, 1905.
GOVERNMENT DICTATION OF RATES.

GOVERNMENT DICTATION OF RATES.
A good many railroad men are ap.
parently surprised that there is such a
demand for government control OF
railroads. Not that the government
intends, or that anybody desires it to
take over the railroads themselves.
But the regulation of rates will be
long step in that direction, and the
taking over will come sooner or later
if the government takes the step now
contemplated. The railroad officials
ask, why is this demand ?'' "Have
we not served the public well, are they
not really better off now when we can
aid them than they would be if the
railroads were owned and controlled
by the government, and made part
of the political machine ?"
For our part we think the people
are, but the people OF their represen'
tatlves allege that the railroads have
not behaved toward the general public
as the general public thinks they
ought. Whether true OF not the pub
lie believes that the railroads grant
concessions to trusts not granted to
individuals, and that the railroads
have gone into most of the profitable
employments to the exclusion of the
individual, thus shutting out compe-
tition and raising prices. This they
know as to coal mining and other
industries.
Again the public believes that there
are men employed by the railroads who
figure on every article shipped by the
public, and see just what the shipper
can pay for the hauling and still live,
so that bare living is left for him by
the railroads.
Again, the people believe that in
travelling a thousand and one obstacles
and catch rules are imposed on them
in the purchase and use of tickets
that are done simply that the road
may profit thereby, to the loss anG
injury of the passenger. That is thai
a cheap rate is advertised, but the
person is required after he buys hi
ticket to do so many things. ant
observe so many requirements that ht
is kept on the go from start to finish
The public believes that the ticke
which allows the passenger to get bacl
$40 on 1000 mile tickets is intended al
ascheme for money making by tn,
railroads, not legitimate from thei
stand point.
These and thousand things of The
kind have put the public and the rail
roads at outs, and as railroads ge
closer to the people than any Othe
corporations, there are more opp0rtu
mites for individual strife and conse
quently more discussion of the treat
ment received, and voicing of individ
ual views, than almost any other thing
If any sore places are existing tn,
neighbors know of them, and the road
are scored. 1t often happens that tn,
roads have unpopular men to manag,
their affairs, and when this is so, thi
becomes the most fruitful source 0
discomfort.
These are of course told to tn,
public servants. No class of mer
are SO apparently anxious to faithfully
perform duty as the average publ,
servant. He has at last risen to the
point where he thinks the government
should step in and stop the "outrages'
suffered by his constituents. With
president given also to looking after
the public veal, we may now expect
revolution in International affairs.
But the roads themselves have
brought about these conditions by moi
Paying enough attention to the loca
conditions of their lines. They allow
ed hostility to grow and multiply, they
turned often deaf ear to the conditions
and appeals, and instead of encour.
aging individuals and making living
possible with those who patronized
the road every day, they ran after. false
gods-after corporations of large size,
and gave them opportunities the people
did not have. 1t, therefore, cannot be
thought strange that such q condition
throughout the railroad world would
not draw upon the railroad world the
scrutiny of the people, and after the
scrutiny, if there were wrongs, that
an effort would not be made 10 right
them, and whether the effort benefited
the people or not, still when begun no
one could tell where it would end.
The thing is upon us and the railroads
are responsible for it. They could
have done better and would not, they
ruled with an iron hand in many cases,
and now their day of retribution seems
near. Something Is going to happen
we fear not calculated to benefit the
public, but probably injurious all
around.
Congress is about to begin it's raid.
Can the railroads control it? Lawson
would assert they could. We do not
believe they can.
News comes to us from Russialthat
Gen. Kuropatkin will retake Port
Arthur. This carries with it the sug-
he i