Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1905-12-08

thing 10 90 is to deal with the great
corporations engaged in the business
Of interstate TRANSPORTATION As ! said
in my message OF December last the /
immediate and most pressing need. sc /
far as legislation is concerned, Is the /
enactment into law Of some scheme &c (
secure to the agents OF the govern /
ment such supervision and regulafioui
Of the rates charged by the railroads /
of the country engaged in interstate I
traffic as shall slmWarly and effec
lively prevent the imposition Of unjust
or unreasonable rates II must Include I
putting a complete stop TO relates in |
every shape and form This power &c
regulate rates like all similar powers I
over the business world should be ex-
erciseG with moderation caution and
self-restraint: but il should exist. so
that il can be effectively exercised (,
when the need arises.
The first consideration 10 be kept
in mind is that the power should be I.
affirmativr "a should be- given 70
some Administrative body created 10y
the congress. Il given to the present Z!
interstate commerce commission OF TO
reotganized Interstate commerce
commission. such commission should
be made unequivocally administrative.
do not believe in the government in
terferng with private business more
than is necessary ] do not believe in
the government undertaking any work
which can with propriety De left in
private hands But neither dc ! be-
lieve in the government fiinching from
overseeing any work when IL becomes
evident that abuses are sure 10 OBJ
tain therein unless there is govern
mental supervision II is not my prov
ace TO indicate the exact terms Of the
law which should be enacted: but
call the attention Of the congress TO
certain existing conditions with which
it is desirable 70 deal In my judg
ment the most important provision
which such law should contain is that
comforting upon some competent ad-
ministrative body the power TO decide,
upon the case being brought before H.
whether given rate prescribed by a
railroad rs reasonable and just and
II il is found TO be unreasonable and
unjust then. after full investigation
of the complaint to prescribe the limit
Of rate beyond which IL shall not be
lawful TO gO-the maximum reason
able rate as II is commonly called
this decision TO go into effect within
reasonable time and to obtain from
thence onward subject TO review by
the courts II sometimes happens at
present not that rate is too high
but that favored shipper is given too
low rate. In such case the commits
sion would have the right TO fix this
already established minimum rate as
the maximum; and il would need only
one or two such decisions by the COM
mission TO cure railroad companies VI
the practice Of giving improper mini
mum rates ! call your attention to
the fact that my Droposal is not TO
! give the commission power 10 initiate
| OF originate rates generally. but TO
regulate a rate already fixed or Origi
mated by the roads upon COMPLAINT
and after investigation A heavy
penalty should he evacted from any
! corporation which fails to respect an
| order Of the commission l regard this
! power 10 este hllsh maximum rate
| as being essential 10 anv scheme of
real reform in the matter ~ railway
regulation The first necessity is to
secure il, and unless II is granted TO
the commission there is little use. in
! touching the subject AZ all
Rebates Really Blaokmail
Illegal transactions often occur IN
! der the forms Of law lt.has often &C.
CURED that a shipper has been told
/ by a traffic officer to buy large
J 81
after II has been bought an open re-
duction is made in the rate to take
effect Immediately the arrangement
resulting 10 the profit Of the one ship
per and the one railroad and to the
damage of all their competitors; for
it must not be forgotten that the big
| shippers are at least as much to
blame as any railroad in the matter
of rebates The law should make il
clear so that nobody can fail to under
stand that any kind Of commission
paid on freight shipments. whether in
this form or in the form of fictitious
damages OF of a concession. free
pass reduced passenger rate, or pay
ment Of brokerage is Illegal II is
worth while considering whether il
would not be wise to confer on the
government the right Of civil action
against the beneficiary of rebate for
at least twice the value of the rebate;
this would help stop what is really
blackmail Elevator allowances should
be stopped, for they have now grown
to such an extent that they are de-
moralizing and are used as rebates.
The best possible regulation Of rates
would of course be that regulation
secured by an honest agreement
among ire railroads themselves TO
carry ont the law Such general
agreement would, for instance. at once
put a stop to the efforts Of any one
big shipper or big railroad TO dis
criminate against or secure advan-
tages over some rival and such agree
ment would make the railroads them
selves agents for enforcing the law.
The power vested in the government
to put a stop to agreements to the
detriment Of the public should. in my
judgment be accompanied nv power to
permit under specified conditions and
careful supervision. agreements clear
ly in the interest of the public But,
in my Judgment. the necessity for
means ss great as the necessity for
giving the commission or administra-
tive bodyo the other powers have
enumerated above; and it may we'll
he inadvisable to attempt 10 vest this
particular power in the commission or
other administrative body until IL al
ready possesses and is exercising what
I regard as by far the most important
OF ali the powers ] recommend-as in
laieed the vitality important power
that to fix given maximum rate.
which rate. after the llpse Of reason
able time. goes into full effect subject
to review by the courts
= All private car lines industrial roads,
refrigerator charges and the like should
be expressly put under the supervision
If the Interstate commerce commission
or some similar body 50 FAR as rates and
agreements practically affecting rates are
Concerned The private car owners and
the owners Of industrial railroads are en-
titled to a feir and reasonable compensa-
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