Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1905-05-25
Of ADDRESS

.ABSIRAC1 Ut AUDRt'SS ]
III ..---.-----' .-----s ..s.st :8s4
President Howard Elliott Of the
Northern Pacific Speaks before
Senate Committee. ss:
Washington, D. G. May 2o.-Howard
Elliott of st. Paul, president ofithe
Northern Pacific Railway and former.
ly operating chief of the Burlington
system, saio In part today in an ad-
dress before the Senate COMMITTEES
on Interstate Commerce: @.
IT have been enaged in the rail-
way business for nearly twenty-five
years in the Mississippi and Missouri
valleys and my remarks will reflect
the views formed during this bust
ness experience BY one who has
always tried to look at the whole
subject of, the government and the
railways Ii reasonable manner, not
only as q railroad officer and employe
and as a railroad owner in a small
way, but also as a citizen interested
in the general development Of the
West. $ 7 -
"There are of course differences Of
opinion about the relation Of rates a.
there will always be under any Sys-
tenn. Railroad. business is conducted
by human beings. 1t is not conducted
therefore with absolute perfection in
every detail. For the errors made
in the conduct of the enormous rail-
road business Of This country, the
plan of control and management
should not be condemned and dis
located any more than that the gen.
eral scheme o. our government should
be condemned because there are
frauds in the administration of the
land and postofice departments and
ineff1ciencies in the administration
Of the government in places.
"One hears much comment upon
the fact that great fortunes have been
made ou* Of the railroad business and
those who comment name a small
mum Der of individuals who through
ability, energy, foresight
and hard work have built up large
fortunes. 1t, is true that few large
fortunes have been made In the rail-
oad business. Not more 10 however
than in the iron, coal, lumber and
manufacturing lines Of of commercial
activity. If as much. These fortunes
are the capital prizes in the lottery
of life that are open to every am
bilious American. But of the great
army Of railroad owners, officers and
employees a very small proportion
obtain more than enough for their
daily living. whatever their position
in societv may be, and some saving
for old age AMI their children.
"There Is al erroneous idea that
railroad rates are fixed arbitrarily,
and that a bw so-called "railroad
magnates' tx and control all OF the
rates in the United States and that
their cheif dea is to fix them at
a high level. Nothing can be farther
from the tr|th. A railroad rate is
the result ola large number of COM
me1cial and geographic conditions
and forces, working, one upon the
other; consultation between shippers
and railroads, between officers and
employees ofpne railroad and another;
study of allthe conditions surround
ing the prolem. of the density or
volume Of business, Of graders, en-
gines, car spply, and cost, and this
process is gdng on every day among
thousands I railroad officers and
shippers.
"The preent law grants ample
power to realate, to say what is un-
fair and unjst, and II it we're en-
forced fairlRnd II the power now in
the hands othe Interstate Commerce
Commission were used, much 0! the
alleged poplar demand for giving
the power td1x the actual rate would
disappear. Il is a question whether
we are not ding even too far in the
direction ofregulating for the best
expansion otIade. n N
'sOn the Northern Pacific road,
comprising 3out 5000 miles there
are no rebass, there are no privae
car abuses, here are no side track
abu es. :
stWhat ardthe remedies for, the
abuses populay charged TO the rail-
roads? IN Judgment they will
correct thenPlves thru the good
sense OF the hfr.can people, Amer
lean businessmen and the friction Of
business. III Iladdition to this the
interstate Cdmerce Law, with It's
amendments Eoyides ample machi1-
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