Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-29
soWlNG THE WIND.


enormous corporate capital invested
In the railways of the United States,
will certainly read with surprise an
Interview given out at Washington,
d. C.,gby John N. Baldwin, of Council
Bluffs, general counsel of the Union
Pacific railway. In this interview Mr..
Baldwin casts doubt on the prospects
Of railway rate legislation and says:
Public demand for such legislation
Is much less than it was" He con
siders that the public has come to rea-
lie that "There are grave objections
to legislation giving the Interstate
Commerce commission the power to
fix rates." Mr.. Baldwin denies that
the big shippers Of the west are de.
handing the enactment of rate law.
He says that the commissions
method of fixing rates would be sub
stantially a distance tariff, and this
plan would never be satisfactory" He
admits that there is often just COM
plant of inadequate service and dis
elimination, but contends there is suf-
fcient remedial legislation now for the
rebate evil.
The evident purpose Of Mr.. Bald
wins interview is to create an impress.
cion at Washington, and thus bring
influence to bear upon President
Roosevelt, that the people of the west
are looking upon the matter of rail
way rate legislation as suggested by
the President himself, in a half
hearted way, and that they are not
especially interested in it. If the
railroads want to SOW the wind and
reap a whirlwind that will go far be-
yond what conservative men believe
should be done in the way Of govern.
men. control Of railways, they need
only permit men representing their
interests to talk in this manner and
give out public Interviews such as that
referred to above. Mr.. Baldwin does
not represent the people of Iowa
when he says public demand for rail
way rate legislation along the line of
President Roosevelt's suggestion is
much less than it was. The facts are
directly to the contrary. The people
are not only standing by the Presi-
dents suggestion, but the lull in the
discussion, which has been misappre-
hended by Mr.. Baldwin az waning
of public interest in the matter,
comes only from the fact that the
public have come to believe that there
is no question about legislation such
as the President recommends, being
adopted, and hence there is no neces-
sity for special agitation, especially
along extreme lines. The business
interests of the west are not following
Governor LaFollette or even Governor
Cummins in their extreme demands
and assertions They do not want to
see a whirlwind of agitation that will
demoralize business conditions and
Inevitably bring about great harm.
But they do not concede that there
can exist effective opposition to re
form in the line Of railway control as
laid down by President Roosevelt in
his message to congress. The people
of Iowa have no thought that any
member of the Iowa congressional del
egation either in the house or in the
senate would think Of voting against
the Presidents suggestion. Nor is
there one OF them in our opinion who
will not do all in his power to bring
about the legislation recommended by
the President. Such utterances as
those of Mr.. Baldwin are unfortunate
and ill-advised from whatever stand
point regarded. 1t is a sowing of the
wind that is liable to develop whirl.
wind that will become disastrous in
the extreme.
That there are grave difficulties sur.
rounding legislation giving the Inter.
state Commerce commission the
power to fix railroad rates, Is known
to everyone who has given this sub.
ject any thought whatever. Govern.
mental power is arbitrary and in.
elastic and in the hands of unworthy
and incapable officials can be made
to do great harm and injustice. The
granting of such powers should al
ways be hedged about with safe
guards and. restrictions SO as to pre-,
vent misapplication of the law, and
injustice under it. 1t Is claimed by
Mr.. Baldwin and in this issue the
Courier publishes an article from the
New York Evening Post setting
out that the commissions method OF
fixing rates would mean substantially
a distance tariff and that, this plan
would never be satisfactory. TIC
reach such a conclusion 1t would seem
necessary to assume that the Presi
dent Is suggesting and the Interstate
Commerce commission is demanding
authority to make new transportation
rates all along the line, and on their
own initiative fix the maximum
charges that the railway companies
shall demand of the public. AS we
read it,. tits is not what the President
suggests nor what the public de
mands President Roosevelts recon
nendation is clear and explicit:
"The, most important legislative act
now needed as regards the regulation
Of corporations is this act to confer
On the Interstate Commerce commits
sion the power to revise rates and
regulations, the revised rate to go at
once into effect and stay in effect un.
less and until the court of review re
verses it..
The mower to revise rates does not