Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-11-24
Rates and Rate Inequalities.

In his Raleigh speech the presiueht
advanced no argument IN support -
federal control of railway rates. WIN
characteristic yigor he pouhaea q
recognized evil for the suppression ol
which existing laws are only a niue
sbort of duly adequate. He made no
allustion to the possible results OF
stern and unrelenting enforcement OF
laws already provided for the restraint
or what he calls 'unscrupulous ana
ruthless cunning in railway manage
ment." by which some big Shippers
and some railroad managers VINO are
always willing 10 take unfair adVah-
tage of their weaker competitors force
other big shippers and big ralifoau
men who would like to do decentiy 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
presidents argument, does not seem 10
tonch the principal issue of the pres
ent consideration. namely. the Dues
tion of reasonable rates. Upon the
issue of the equality of rates ana
treatment for all shippers there is Mt
tie room for argument. Shippers. ran, =,
WAYS and the public are In genera
agreement upon that point. WIN
some elaboration Of the present laws
IN which little or no objection VIII De
raised. the point of unfair dlscriiniila-
lion may be covered as well as II can
be. 1t is doubtful if any such la"
could be made absolutely effective.
But that is an issue which Is quite
distinct from the proposal to place
rate making powers in the hands OF an
administrative body There appears
1 to be confusion upon this point. There
Ia i wide difference between the prom
4 bition of any form of unfair dlscrlih-
lination between shipper ana shlpper'
ar between point and point, and the
determination of rate charges by a
federal commission. 1t is to the latter
i and not to the former that opJeetioi'
lis made Mr.. Roosevelt SAID that act
Iual experience has shown that IL Is
mot possible to leave the railroads ul.
controlled. | do not know the exact
neriod Of this actual experience. | am
nnder an impression that railways
ARE and always have been, subject 70
In long list of restraining laws, s.atu-
tory as well as economic.
our transportation system mas haue
this country what it is to-day out
development has not come IN SPITE VI
orr system, but because or IT. lha'
abuses have crept in is uhuehlapie
Abuses have crept into our govern
ment controlled postal system ana ill.o
our government supervised ana resu-
lated banking system. But ireeuoii
of action in rate making has ehapieu
RAILWAYS to open enormous areas OF
otherwise yalueless land, and to as
tribute the products of our farms ana
lour workshops in a manner Impossible
Under restrained action. Tne nlslors
of all state rate making shows the III
evitable tendency of that method TO-
ward the fiat distance tarin. Such
system in this country OF enormous
areas and distances would turn farms
into waste places and valuable ma
chinery into junk. A.,
Nowhere in the entire range VI VI.
railway discussion has IL been snow
that the country has suffered OF una
lit is suffering from excessive railwas
rates. outside of individual instances
whose rarity makes them almos
lunioue. there has been neither com
nlaint of excessive charges nor clamol
for reduction by a federal commission
The call for rate regulation by com
mission or by court does not CUM
from our thousands upon thousands y
SINNERS. II is the cry OF a Few wn'
hone to gain by it. augmented py TN
roaring of non-shippers who nave NJ,
file or no knowledge of transpor'atioi
Questions. 80,
/ The country. the shippers ana ever
the railways will support the presiuen
in any effort to remedy evils. to cor
ract abuses TO stamp out inequalitie
and unfair determinations. But IL
NOT railway managers only VINO ar
staggered by proposals that commis
sion he empowered either to flx rate
or TO regulate railway tarins.-Ne'
York Sum