The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-01-20

president, Rooseyelt's recent message
.ec,ar,ng that more equitable admins
.ration of railroad transportation at
fairs is Imperative, together with the
u%tterances along the same line by GOV
ernor Culn,nins of Iowa and other lead
ing men of the country, has brought
the matter to the fore in leGafKapie
manner. The shippers of the country
and particularly of the west are deep
ly concerned and predictions OF uid9
tic remedies are made.
Here is a recent ~utterance OF eN-GoN
ernor William Larrabee OF Iowa
..,rhe shibboleth of the last century.
competition, is dying With that Wllicl
gave it birth. Ii WAS supposed 10 pe
ADEQUATE to any condition of social ac-
tion. but it has utterly failed in many
respects to meet with expectations, ana
especially has it failed to secure re;i-
snnable management OF railroads IN lhe
United States. SOM other felneuS
must be found. There appears to be
only two plainly in sight. One is strict
government regulation. and the other
is ownership. If the former
is not soon made efficient, the latter IS
inevitable" Z,
C. a. Prouty. writing in the Field and
Farm OF Denver under the clptloil,
Who viii Check the Railways?' says:
IleIt VIZ oG tillieA ~
ership or government regulation OF the
railroads. Which it viii be depends
mainly Oh the managers of the rail-
Dads. If they do not want government
ownership they will cease opposition to
the plan for preventing the enforce
ment of rates which are unreasonable
know that individually, Il great many
able railway mel are convinced that
there should be government supervi-
sion of rates but, officially and collect
lively, those men will never agree To
such supervision until Wall street gives
the order.
although the railroads apparently
are not disposed to recognize it, there
Is a greater power in this country-tht
people. They today believe that there
must be some check To the greed of the
railways. Under The community of in
terest or joint ownership plan. competi
ton in rates between the railroads ha:
beer practically eliminated in the cas-
and is rapidly disappearing i'll The ives
and southwest. BY various method
rates have been advanced In reeen
years and il unchecked the railroad
will make further advances. Desp!t
the millions that We're expected for bet
terments of all kinds. the railroads &C
cumulated q greater surp!uS last yea
than ever before. IL the cost of cor
Quoting transportation is growing les
1t should not be attended by an III
CREASE III .IdtSS.
Some railroad men wildly ak c
coniscation of property whenever thef
is a suggestion that they should u
compelled to reduce unreasonable rate:
Has not a shipper at least equal rigf
to ak of confiscation of property wlle
he is compelled to pay an unjust an
excessive rate for transportation.
reasonable rate has been defined us OF
that is fair to both the railroads an
the shipper and all that it is propose
10 do is to give the interstate con
merce commission the power TO name
reasonable rate after it has been den
onstrated that an unjust has bee
charged. The public is becoming ed
Gated to modern railway methods an
realizes their dangerous possibilities.
the railroads do not check themseiv'
the people will chs k them and do
most etfectually.'
The following dispatch gives Cove
nor Cummins' vi IS in brief OH II
important subject:
Des Moines. Ia. Dec. 27.-Govern'
Cummins does not believe that II
scheme which Senator Elkins is IL
ported By the papers to have evolve
by President Roosevelt in his messat
for the establishment OF a court to e,
s1cise Jurisdiction over and decit