Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-11-24
Rates and Rate Inequalities.
From the Huntington CorreseoHdcHt
York Snn Nnr.cnlhcr o Lnns

From The Wilmington Correspondent New
York San. NovsmbeT 9. 1861
In his Raleigh speech the President adv anced
no new argument in support Of federal control
OF railway rates. With characteristic vigor he
pounded a recognized evil for the suppression
of which existing laws are only little short of
duly adequate. He made no allusion TO the
possible results Of a stern and unrelenting en-.
foreement of laws already provided for the
restraint of what he calls "unscrupulous and
ruthless cunning in railway management" by
which some big shippers and some railroad
managers who are always willing to take unfair
advantage of their weaker competitors force
other big shippers and big railroad men who
would like to do decently into similar acts of
wrong and injustice under penalty Of being
left behind in the race for success"
This, which is the main line of the Pres.
dents argument, does not seem to touch the
principal issue Of the present consideration
namely the question of reasonable rates Upon
the issue Of the equality Of rates and treatment
for all shippers there is little room for argu.
ment. Shippers, railways and the public are in
general agreement upon that point With some
elaboration OF the present laws, to which little
or no objection will be raised the point OF un.
fair discrimination may be covered as well as il,
can be. IL is doubtful il any such law could be
made absolutely effective.
But that is an issue which is quite distinct
IRON the proposal TO place rate making powers
in the hands of an administrative body. There
appears TO be confusion upon this point. There
Is wide difference between the prohibition of
any form OF unfair discrimination between ship
per and shipper, or between point and point
and the determination of rate charges BY fed.
eial commission. 1t is to the latter and not to
thc former that objection is made MIR Roose.
Welt said that actual experience has shown that
It IS not possible to leave the railroads uncon.
uolied. do not know the exact period of
tnls actual experience. am under an impress
sion that railways are, and always have been,
subject TO long list of restraining laws, statu.
tory as well as economic.
Our transportation system has made this
country what II is today. Our development has
not come in spite of our system, but because of
II. That abuses have crept in is undeniable
Aonses nave erept into our government con.
trolled postal system and into our government
supervised and regulated banking system. But
freedom OF action in rate making has enabled
railways to open enormous areas of otherwise
Valueless land, and to distribute the products of
our farms and our workshops in a manner i'm.
possible under retrained action. The history of
all state rate making shows the inevitable ten
denSy OF that method toward the fiat distance
tariff. Such system in this country of enor.
nous areas and distances would turn farms into
waste places and valuable machinery into junk
=. nowhere IN the entire range of the railway
discussion has it been shown that the country
has suffered or that il is suffering from exees.
sive railway rates Outside of individual in.
stances, whose rarity makes them almost UNIQUE
there has been neither complaint of excessive
charges nor clamor for reduction BY federal
commission. The call for rate regulation by a
commission or by court does not come from
our thousands upon thousands of shippers II
is the cry of a few who hope to gain by il,
augmented by the roaring of non-shippers who
have little or no knowledge of transportation
questions.
The country, the shippers and even the rail.
ways viii support the President in any effort to
remedy evils, to correct abuses, TO stamp out
inequalities and unfair determinations. But il
IS not railway managers only who are staggered
by proposals that commission be empowered
either to nix rates OF to regulate railway tariffs.