The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-30
FEARS OF 0LNEY
RecoiIs From Government
Rate Making.
In Answer TO Rryan's Open Letter He
Calls Up Pictures OF Government
Ownership Of Every
Highway.
(By the Associated Press.)

New York, Sept. 2S.-The reply of
the conservative wing of the Demo-
ratio party to w. j. Bryan's recent
open letter to the President on rail-
road rate legislation is contained III
an article by Richard Olney in the
October number of the North Ameri-
-an Review, published today. In
what is practically his first public ut
terance in two years, President CleVe-
iand's former Secretary of State, pres
ents his final judgment against the
proposed legislation, in the form of 81
orief, covering not only the law, bu;
the public policy involved In the agl-
tat.on.
In discussing the effects of the gov
eminent regulation =, upon the Rail
roads. Mr.. Olney says
1.-The situation to be anticipated
then. is that railroads-private prop
critics and representing private invest
ments, aggregating billions of dollars
will find themselves controlled i'm the
vital matter of their charges, not By
their private owners, but by two
public boards--one representative of
local interests and the other of ma
tional interests and both antagonisttc
to the interests of the private owners
concerned. The two boards will aim
at the lowest possible rates, each in
behalf of the particular business
under its charge, and will therefore
be in constant rivalry with each other
i'm the endeavor to eXtort from the
carrier the best service at the small
est cost Under these conditions any
thing like skilful, just. reasonable or
stable rate-making becomes impossi-
bic. A situation is created intolera-
BILE alike to the carriers and to the
public and the sure outcome-unless
the whole scheme of government
ra te-making be abandoned--is govern
ment ownership.
Government Ownership.
Government ownership of ali rail-
roads is obviously the goal toward
which some of the government rate
makers are arriving, while others, II
not welcoming it and not working for
it, profess not to fear it, and claim
that it would at all events be an i'm
provement upon the present status.
But when government ownership of
the railroads of the country is seri-
ously considered our dual political sys-
tenn is at once seen to present prob
lens of the gravest character. The
few and comparatively unimportant
railroads that are wholly tra-state
may be properly ignored. Every rail-
road of consequence is engaged In
both kinds of transportation-in
transportation that begins and ends in
single State, and in transportation
that passes beyond State lines. Hence.
if government ownership of railroads
be regarded as the inevitable sequence
of government rate-making first
question is, which government is 1t
that is to own the railroads. the State
ar the limited StdtPSy
1.-The significance and Importance OF
the inquiry" continues Mr.. Olney
"are apparent if we remember that
the railroad is only one species OF
highway, and that which. II true OF
railroad must be true of ordinary
highways. The jurisdiction of the
national government must be the same
in both cases. If it is competent for
the national government under the
commerce clause to own and operate
all the great railroads Of the country
it must be also competent for it to
own or control and operate all the
great highways. of the country.
Of this deduction. Mr.. Olney says
that it would be revolutionary In prac-
tice and contradictory OF views custo-
marily held