The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-04-08
SPENCER TALKS ID TIE TARIFF LEAGUE President of Southern Gives At-
 titude of Rail- oads OWNED BYPRIVATE CAPITAL Railroads Are Entitled to Government Protection and Are Always Willing
 to Do Their Part Toward
 Giving Value Received.
OWNED BY PRIVATE CAPITAL

in the history of the Traffic league, the three aspects of railroad traffic were ably represented tonight in the greatest ton mage originating point in the world. The occasion was the third annual banquet of the Traffic club of Pittsburg al the Hotel Schenley. Samuel Spencer president of the Southern railway spoke for the railroads Willis L. King, vice president of the Jones & Laughins Co, Pitts burg, presented the interests of the manu- lecturers and Judge Peter S. Grosscup Of the United States circuit court upheld the rights of the people.
 There were 475 railroad traffic officials and Pittsburg manufacturers around the board.
 When the speaking began Willis King, vice president of the Jones X Laughlins Steel company Pittsburg. was called np- on to speak for Pittsburg and her man. lecturers Mr King was followed by Judge Grosscup of Chicago.
 President Spencer followed Judge Cross cup. His address was in part as follows'
 President Spencer Speaks.
 MT. President Members of the Traffic
 Club and Fellow Guests:
 "The distinguished jurists who is your guest tonight has properly and pertinent ly said: "rhe railroad man has his hour of opportunity now. Let him join our President in establishing a tribunal through which the nations power can be honestly but at all times promptly and adequately, exercised That will bring peace with justice. No other peace would last
 Al no time has the Presidents nten- tion been to advocate governmental reg ulaton of railways which would inhict injury upon the investments in the prop critics or impair the usefulness Of the carriers to the public. He has never ad- vocated and he can be trusted never to advocate, the adoption of any regula tion which does violence to the funda- mental principles on which the govern ment is founded.
 If a tribunal which will answer tho description can be organized, or if meth ods can be found-and I believe they can be without the necessity of an additional and special tribunal for the purpose-by which the great railway questions of the day can be settled in accordance with law and equity, and in accordance with those fundamental principles of govern ment which are guaranteed by the con stitution, I speak with authority when I SLY lIdi SuuSlhuNldtiA every IdllNdA Hldu- ager in the country will subscribe to that view. and aid in teh accomplishment of the desired results.
 Carrier Not to Blame.
 'The difficulties of adjustment, there i fore, lie not. as has been so often claimed in any obstructive or defiant attitude of the railway manager They rest funda- mentally in the anomalous condition in which the carriers are placed under the law in those suggestions of remedy which, failing utterly to reach the evils sought to be cured would punish unwise- ly and unnecessariIy Nhe innocent along with the guilty. end irr those suggestions which look to the-separation of one par ticular class of property from all others, to be dealth with invdiously by special tribunal and by special methods.
 Tt Is not reasonable regulation to which the carriers object, it is to unwlse and unfair regulation. 1t is not the regulation which seeks directly to remedy known and tangible evils, but 1t is the so-called regulation which while ostensibly attack ing one evil, or class of evils. inficts un- known and unjus Unable injuries upon those who are noh offenders. and that which undertakes unnecessarily to inter fere with the legal and beneficial freedom of commercial action and enterprise, and thus to diminish the future usefulness Of the carriers and impede the material development of the resources of the coun- try. It is not the regulation which im- proves. but 1t is the regulation which re- tards.
 Represent Private Capital. The railways of this country are char tered and exist to perform certain pub lie services, and they represent, with a few isolated exceptions, the investment of private capital
 "rhe relations of the carriers to the government assume, therefore, the dual character of those of public servants up- on the one hand and upon the other. that of property of enormous cost entitled like all other property and equally with 1t, to governmental protection.
 '"rhe railways are public carriers for hire, entitled to Just and reasonable com pensation for services performed. Rail- way charges, are not as it has been some- times enormously asserted, tax upon the public or upon the individuals or in- dustries or commerce served by the car riers. tax is a levy placed upon all for the support of the government, and from the payment of which no citizen is or should be exempt. The railway charge is