, 1905-11-02
THE RAILROAD RATES QUESTION

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Congress will wrangIe during its
coming session will be the question
of railroad rates. The railroad men
assert that competition between roads
will settle the matter, the same as III
any other class of business. They
claim that the price of sugar, coffee.
bacon, and eggs, arc all controlled
by the effect of competition. This is
hardly a fair view of the case In
case of the corner groceryman, if he
does not sell at a reasonable rate
some other man will go into the gro
Gerry business and compel him to
come down on prices.
Not so with railroads. That is
another question which cannot be in
many cases reached by competition.
1t is true that there is often more
than one road between given points,
and that they(have to compete with
each other i'll the matter of rates, and
this necessity may keep them fairly
decent in their charges.
But it is oflener the case that there
is no competition, especially inland,
and when that is the case the roads
can, and do, charge than they
do where they have competition, and
there is no way to force them down in
their prices. They simply says; ''If
you don't want to pay II prices Tor
transportation you don't have to-
groceryman. there would he Il com
petitor spring mp to force him down.
But so'far as the railroad is concern
ed, that e uld o be done, for it is
not often that any other road could
be induced to come in and build Il
parallel road and force prices down.
Then, again, railroa Is are able to
keep certain portions OF ii country
back in its development, simply be
cause they either do not care to build
into it. or because they are unable
to do so. They boldly come ont and
talk about their territory" and for
bid other lines entering it. In fact
the great railroad corporations divide
the country and one hears them talk
about Burlington territory" ~. p.
territory" and Chicago and North
western territory" as though they re
ally owned the country. In this way.
instead of being real helpers in the
advancement of the civilization of IA
country, they are Il drawback.
Yet every reasonable man is willing
10 concede that there is no civiliser
like a railroad when it is properly
managed, and that no country, at
this age, a hope to make much
progress without one The rights of
the railroads should be looked after
as well as the people, but when very
large interests are collected III the
hands of IL few men they are liable to
become extremely selfish and AFRO.
giant, and when that occurs the law
should have the right TO step in and
prevent eItortioD or injustice.
And this is all that the men who
favor the making of laws by Con
gress, fixing just railroad rates,
contemplate. They do not wish to
interfere between the railroads and
the people except in cases where the
railroads are charging unjust rates.
Women claim that they are not
curious than men, and perhaps
they are not, but cut "A piece out of IA
newspaper and lay it before your wife
and ten to M she will raise merry
sheol until she finds out the exact
nature of the missing portion.
The grading of First street is "A
timely piece of work aad improves
the appearance of the city very much.
Now if some one would gather IN the
loose stones on Bridge street and
drive down the nails in the side walk