Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-01
BENEVOLENT DESPOTS.
| Foreign Experts Views on the Amer
lean Railroad Situation.

ShOuaulOns
Springfield (Mass) Republican.
Some interesting observations on the rail-
road rate question In America are made
in a letter to the London statist by VIII
liam NJ Acworth, who recently visited this
country as a delegate chosen by the British
government to the international railway
congress. He is convinced from what he
learned here that secret rebates are dead
and that II only remains for legislation to
deal with the private car and spur-track
methods of securing special freight ad-
vantages to establish full uniformity in
charges for transportation.
If this is true-and railroad men are all
assuring us that 1t is true-then great is
the gain toward that equality of oppor-
tunity in industry which is so much to be
desired. But beyond the question of uni
formity in rates rises that of reasonable
ness in uniform rates. and here Mr. Ac-
worth finds American railroad men much
out of touch with public opinion. He him
self is little skeptical regarding govern
ment interference with rate making buC
he says
After ALL a disinterested student of the
question, even II. like the present writer,
he is persuaded that government interfer-
ence makes for higher rates and less public
convenience, must admit that in the United
States at the present time there is a strong
case for governmental interference. One
man-the president of the Pennsylvania
railroad-dominates the great Industrial
region which centers in Pittsburg. Two
men-Mr. Hill and Mr.. Harriman-dominate
the development Of the entire Pacific slope
Admitting. to the full the benevolence OF
their despotism. they are still despots, and
| to despots, however benevolent, the Anglo
And on the whole history shows that the
Anglo-Saxon race has not been far wrong" "
Not only. in a word, does a strong public
| opinion exist in the states which demands
| government regulation, but II has sound
reason behind 1t. II is something which
| the railroad interest must recognize and
| reckon with; sooner or later II will compel
| action.
| Action may be prevented for the time
| being. Mr.. Acworth finds a possibility that
| public and congressional agitation may be
| switched on from the rate to the tarif
question; also that the senate is not in
clined to pass a bill so radical as the presi-
dent demands. But even so, the question
will only be postponed, It may come VI
again in a few years time, when the coun
| try is less prosperous and worse tempered
and when conservative forces have less
|
CARDS II as the part of wisdom for tn,
railroads to accept moderate Legislation
now-and IL is worth noting that he seemi
to regard as moderate such a law woulC
empower the Interstate Commerce commits
sion to specify what rate can reasonably
be substituted for a rate which is held un
reasonable subject to appeal to the courts
and to put the substituted rate into effec
at once How such a law would work 1
Is impossible to say. All would depen,
upon the competency Of the commission 4
confine its activities within practicable an,
needed lines.
But OF one thing this English observe
is certain. and II is what We have repeat
edly called the attention Of the railroa
> interest to-that a public sentiment exist
/ in the United States, and founded upo
reason, which demands government actio
= of this general character and which Wi
have 70 be needed