Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-25
MAKING REGULATION oD1oUs.


1t is almost as difficult to make rail
way traffic managers submit to railway
regulation as it is to harness a balky
team. Whenever law is enacted by
congress or by Legislature that tends to
restrict the arbitrary exactions and pre-
vent favoritism on the part of public car
riers their managers invariably attempt
to make regulation odious and unpopular.
so-called granger" laws back in the
seventies and eighties, and are now be-
ing repeated or threatened to be re-en-
acted.
Last winter the Wisconsin legislature,
at the instance of Governor La Toilette,
passed a new railroad commission law
with stringent provisions to prevent un-
reasonable exactions in local freight
rates, and prohibiting the issue Of
passes, except to railway employees. The
law had scarcely gone into effect when
the railroad organs raised hue and cry.
predicting dire disaster to Wisconsin as
for example, declares that it is prac-
tically impossible to induce homeseekers
to visit the sparsely settled sections Of
the state for the purpose of inspecting
less reduced rates of transportation are
offered 1t had been customary to sell
tickets to prospective settlers at half
fare, or one fare for the round trip, but
cause the railroad companies cannot dis
criminate only in favor of homeseekers.
Any fnvors granted by them to one class
of patrons must be granted to the public
generally. The section Of the Wisconsin
commission law regulating the selling of
tickets at reduced rates reads as follows:
Section 8. Nothing herein shall prevent
the carriage, storage or handling of freight
free or at reduced rates for the United
States, the state or any municipality
thereof, or for charitable purposes, or to
and from fairs and oxpositions for exhibit
ton thereat, or household goods the prop
erty of railroad employees; or the issuance
Of mileage, Communication or excursion pas
be obtainable by any person applying
therefor without discrimination. or of any
party tickets, provided that the same shall
be obtainable by all persons applying there
for under like circumstances and condi-
| tions
Exception also Is made In favor of min
listers OF the gospel, officers or agents of
| incorporated colleges. agents of charitable
societies, destitute and homeless persons,
railroad employees and members OF their
families.
OF course there is absolutely nothing
in the above section to prevent the sale
Of hOmeseekers' tickets at reduced rates
providing that all homeseekers regard.
less of sex, creed or nationality, are
granted the same privilege. The law
prohibiting discrimination does not
throw the gates open to the public to
travel at homeseekers' rates any more
than it would throw them open to the
public because reduced rates are granted
TO charitable societies, destitute and
homeless persons and ministers of the
gospel. Manifestly, all that the Wiscon
sin law designs TO accomplish is to pre-
vent discrimination or favoritism within
particular classes.
A more striking illustration of tn,
policy adopted by railroads to make reg
ulation odious is the educational cam
paign now in progress in the south un
der the direct supervision of Samue
Spencer, president of the Southern rail
road. Taking advantage of the intens,
southern sentiment against negro equal
ity the railroad organs in those parti
Z have begun to preach crusade againS
the Roosevelt railroad regulation pro
gram by telling the southern people tha
II national control OF the railroads is al
loved all discrimination between white
and blacks in the enjoyment of rnilroa,
facilities win he abolished; in othe
words, there will he no more "jim crow
ears and the white men and the negroe
travelling by railroad VIII have to 81
side by side all over the south.
People afflicted with negrophobia vii
lnaturo Ilv be horrinad M thfs ,.ro-,,a,t