The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-19


propfiety be: left in private hands, and
in particular / should most strenuously
1eGss Ba baeve 9w wh equal
tirmness that it is out of the question
for the government not to exercise !
supervisory and regulatory right over
the railroads; for it is vital to the we'll
managed in a spirit of fairness and
Justice toward all the public.
..s Must Be Controlled.
J, .Actual experience has shown that
it is not possible to leave the railroads
uncontrolled. Such system, or rather
such a lack Of system, is fertile In
abuses Of every kind, and puts prem
ium upon. unscrupulous and ruthless
cunning in railroad management; for
there are some big shippers and some
railroad managers who are always will
ing to take unfair advantage of their
weaker competitors, and they thereby
force other big shippers and big rail-
road men who would like to do decently
into similar acts of wrong and injus-
tice, under penalty of being left behind
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. : II ..3s.
| Laws Are Defective.
= "Experience has shown that the pres
ent laws are defective and need amend
ment. The effort to prohibit all re-
straint Of competition, whether reason
1 able or unreasonable, is unwise. What
we. need IS to have some administrative
body with ample power to forbid COM
| b1natlon that is hurtful to the public,
and to prevent favoritism to one indi-
v1dual at the expense of another.
IN other words, we want an admin
1stratlve body with the power to secure
shippers who use the railroads-and all
shippers have a right to use them.
;" We must, not leave the enforcement
of such 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 purely administra-
tive work: The department. of justice
the administrative body, but the ad.
ministrative body itself must be given
the power to- do the work and then
held to a strict accounta bility for the
exercise Of that power. The delays
Of the law are proverbial, and what
we need in this matter is reasonable
quickness Of action.
rHThe abuses of which we have "a
genuine right to complain take many
given openly. But they can be given
just as effectively in covert form; anc
private cars, terminal tracks and the
like must be brought under the contro
Of the commission or administrative
!; body, which is to exercise supervision
by the government. IN
Important Thing to Do.
; =. HButg in my Judgment, the most I'M
administrative bodYppower to make. it,
Il findings effective, and this can be done
only by giving it power, when 3'com
!. plant. is made, of o. given rate as being
81 unjust or unreasonahfcs If it finds the
}. complaint proper, tl(ssn itself to-, fix {
maximum rate which it regards as JUS
Iand reasonable, this rate to go int
4 effect practically at once, that IS, with
, in a reasonable time, and to stay il
! effectaunless reversed by the courts.
"Idearnest1y hope that we shall SCI
q law giving this power passed by con
= gress. Moreover, ! hope that by Law
y power will be conferred upon represen
', tatives of the government capable O.
. performing the duty tof public accom-
: tants carefully to examine into tn
:. books Of railroads, when so ordered b.
!, the Interstate commerce commission
- which should itself have power to pre-
, scribe what books, and what book
= only, should be kept by railroads. I
; there is in the minds of the commission
any suspicion that a certain railroad
q in any shape or way giving rebates 0
. behaving improperly, I wish the CON
= mission to have power, as a matter o
: right, not as matter of favor, to max
y a full and exhaustive investigation 9
i, Il the receipts and expenditures Of tn
=, railroad, so that any violation or evs
a sion Of the law may be detected. 49,,
o Not Revolutionary.
- "This is not a revolutionary propose
on my part, for I only wish. the sam
power given in reference to railroad
that is now exercised as 3, matter Q
T. course by the national bank examiner
as regards national banks. Ny objec
in giving these additional powers
the, government Interstate =, con
: merce commission, or whatever it ma
be-is primarily to secure a real an
J not a sham control to the governme1
representatives. --- ..... !.
"The American people abhor shan
l. and with this adherence ] cordial
& sympathize. Nothing is more iniurio1
from every standpoint than a la
which is merely sound and fury, merel
; pretense, and not capable Of workin
out tangible resultsa - "a; r. :.
IT hope to see all The power chat
g think it ought to have granted to til
: government: but I would far rather sc
= only some Of 1t granted, but real]
- granted, than see a pretense Of gran
~ ~ ing all, in some shape that reall
= amounts to nothing. e
Exercised with Wisdom.
a 1T must be understood, as matt,
= Of course, that if this power is granite
~ it is to be exercised with wisdom an
- caution and self-restraint. The inte
state commerce commissioner or 9TH
or feet feet q railroad that "" was in the rig]