New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-07
CONTROL OF RAILWAY RATES.
COMMISSIONER CHARLES 4. PROUTY SAYS1HE MOSI
BE REGULATED BYLAW.
Samuel Spencer President the Southern Tells Just ~ hat Regulations
the Raisrays WouN Wahngly accept

Mr. rrouty is member Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission which body he argues should be endowea
with complete power and authority 10 fix rates and
enforce their Observance by the railroads
Years ago the English courts decided that II a
railway company granted a reasonable rate 10
shipper Il might lawfully make a lower rate
to another shipper OF the same commodity. To-
day the doctrine of this decision is universally
repudiated. All persons Of one mind that
every shipper Is entitled TO the same rate. The
ordinarymeans Of preferring shippers in the past
has been by the payment Of rebates, and 1t Is
agreed upon all hands that this must stop. The
public demands that Il shall The interest Of
the railway requires that It shall. The inIlnc-
ton and the Elkins bill have already gone FAR
toward accomplishing this most desirable re
suit. The Law. must be amended. 1t must in
ciude the terminal railroad, the private car, the
elevator The accounts of railroad companies
must be kept under the direction and supervis-
ion Of the government, and their books must be
at all times open 10 public inspection. l have
sometimes thought that 1t might even be neces-
sary for the government TO appoint the person
who receives and disburses the money of these
public servants. But the thing aimed at is sus-
ceptible OF being done. and in the present state
Of public sentiment is reasonably certain 10 be
done.
Monopolies have been odious 10 the law ever
since there was an English common law. They
are especially odioUs TO the American people.
Just what is the evil Of monopoly? Minor evils
there are, but the fundamental wrong is this
that il permits the owner Of the monopoly to
take from those VINO are dependent upon the
monopoly mere than just compensation for the
articles sold or the service rendered. This pro-
duces injustice and inequality in the distribution
Of wealth. -.hich leads to The gravest social and
political results. b. the building UP Of eglor-
nous fortunes. by placing in the hands Of single
individuals the Tremendous power which such
fortunes carry win them IS set in motion
train Of circumstances which may finally reduce
q people to moral ana iI11s,ri2. sarvitude.
TIE WORST MONOPOLY.
Now IN this aspect t.ece Is no s1ust, no mo-
1c2c!y wElch IS so far -e.elirs. so all pervaG-
Ing. IS railroad ncacpo.. Ter there IS TO art
c-e ard 20 service wl:cn enters Sc universally
into t,.e rececsar-e5 AKA l,;~ries Of life rail-
road ira 2spo.tat.on. -1;e1c IS 70 other monopoly
which taaes the pennies from the pocket Il
1ile poor man. puts together these pennies into
an enormous aggregate and deposits them 70 the
account Of the mulu-n'illionare so insidlously as
does tie railway charge.
Not only do our railroads constitute the
greatest Of monopolies themselves but they are
more than any other cause, responsible for the
existence Of other monopo.ies. It is familiar
knowledge that a slight advantage in the freight
rate may be sufficient to drive every competitor
out Of business. IN the past this advantage has
been accorded largely through the payment of
rebates. That has largely ceased, and viii, in
my opinion, cease altogether; but there may be,
and there are, Determinations in the published
tariff itself which as deadly as those arising
out OF departure from that tariff These dis
ordinations exist in great numbers to-day, and
they will multiply in the future unless checked.
The identity Of interest between our great in
dustr!al monopolles and our railroads is becom-
Ing such that they are operated for the mutual
advantage of one another.
Mr.. Rockefeller IS most potent influence IN
the railroad world The Standard Oil Company
was nour!shed upon rebates until It had grown
strong Its boast is today that il receives 10
rebates, but Determinations IN its favor in the
printed tariff take from the pockets Of the
people and put into the treasures Of that COM