The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-27
RAILROADS AND REASON.

While the Montana Rate association
10 waiting for legislative aid in the
work Of finally correcting traffic in.
justices within the state, the activities
Of the organization can be probably
engaged in assembling concrete exam
pies Of fragrant unfairness. II we are
to have . railroad commission. the
inform alton thus gathered and digest.
ed will 20 far toward equipping such
q state board for immediate and salu.
tary action, says the Helena Indepen.
dent.
II we are not to have q railroad
commission, or, II its installation 10
to be long delayed, the reasons are so
much greater and more urgent that the
rate association assemble its facts and
present them to the proper railroad
authorities with q demand that the
abuses now suffered shall be abol.
ished. It may be that the traffic man.
ayers will not grant all the reforms
asked, but it 10 q reasonable certainty
that concessions would be made and
it is absolutely sure that the rate as.
sociation thus demanding justice
would learn great many things about
railroad rates which it does not know
now.
1t Is neither right nor rational TO
nurture the belief that railroads are
the i~nveterate enemies of the public,
nor Is it at all sensible to take it for
granted that the common carriers will
not listen to reason. 1t is fair to ask
the question: Have the people OF Mon.
tana, or the shippers of Montana, ever
supplied the railroads with an item
lied list of unjust local rates and
asked, in the name of fair play, that
the proved un%fairness be abrogated:
Now that we have a concrete and
unified organization representing the
rate.paying people Of the state. would
it not be a wise and equitable plan to
present an accurate and s%equential list
OF our grievances. asking that they be
abated and reserving the right to CON-
pei justice If We cannot gain it peace
ably: In the past, single shippers
have succeeded in securing rate ad.
justrnent for themselves. AS usual in
such cases, the individual quit com.
planning as soon as his own interests
were safeguarded. Meanwhile his rea.
sonable ''kick' had been needed by
the railroad. 1t is apparent that a
concerted presentation of reasonable
complaints against unreasonable local
rates would have the patient and just
consideration of the traffic managers.
A consultation between the railroads
and the rate association of Montana
in which the righteous requirements of
the latter could be set forth, would do
much to enlighten both the railroads
aud the shippers. 1t would, in all
probability, elicit some valuable con.
cessions IS to rates and, II we'll con.
trived, would yield much information
to the rate makers az we'll as to the
AAO.6"V P~ySAo'
Instead of embarrassing any rail.
road commission that many be Great
ed, it would blaze q trail for, and
minimize the onerous work of any
such new board. As specific instances
of freight rate unfairness must be as.
sembled anyhow. 1t 10 evident that the
sooner the work is begun and the
moro thoroughly it Is pursued, the
better chance there will be to achieve
tangible results with or without q
railroad commission.
1t Ia of vital Importance that inter.
est in the regulation Of local rates
should be sustained and extended
throughout the state and We know OF
no method better calculated to arouse
public opinion % q defense of public
rights than the ceaseless and deliber.
rate exploitation Of concrete exam.
Piles OF those injustices of which we
complain. Vague charges Of unfair
ness become finally as wearisome as
they are unconvincing. Get the facts.
Produce the itemized overcharges.
Dig out the pith OF our rate wrongs.
Then give the railroads a chance to
show whether they have the disposi.
ton to give and take q square deal.
Paying Orc In the Rear Paws.