Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1905-12-07

thlnB 70 do In 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. so
Tar as LEGISLATION ts concerned ip the
enactment into law OF some scheme to
secure to the agents OF the govern
ment such supervision and regulation
OF tho rates charged by the railroads
OF lhe country engaged IN interstate
trafiic es shall summarily and effec-
lively prevent the imposition OF unjust
or unreasonable rates 1t must include
putting complete stop to rebates in
every shape and form. This power to
regulate rates. like all similar powers
over the business world, should be ex-
erclsed with moderation, caution ana
self-restraint; but Il should exist, SO
that IL can be effectively exercised
when the need arises.
The first consideration to be kept
in mind is that the power should be
Affirmative = M should be given 10
some administrative body created nv
the congress. II given TO the present
Interstate commerce commission or TO
reorganized interstate commerce
commission, such commission should
be made intentionally administrative.
! do not believe in the government in
terfering with private business more
than Is necessary. 1 do not believe In
the government undertaking any work
which can with propriety be left in
private hands. But neither do / be-
ieve In the government finching from
overseeing any work when IL becomes
evident that abuses are sure to OBJ
tain therein unless there is govern
mental supervision. 1t Is not my prov
ince to indicate the exact terms OF the
law which should be enacted but 1
call the attention of the congress to
certain existing conditions with which
AnaaN ~.
ment the most important provision
which such law should contain is that
comforting upon some competent add
ministrative body the power to decide,
upon the case being brought before IL.
whether given rate prescribed by a
railroad Is reasonable and Just. and
II II 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 IL is commonly called
this decision to go into effect within a
reasonable time and to obtain from
thence onward. subject to review by
the courts. It sometimes happens at
present, not that a rate Is too high
but that favored shipper is given too
low rate. In such case the commits
sion would have the right TO tx this
already established minimum rate as
one or two such decisions by the COM
mission to cure railroad companies OF
the practice of giving improper mini
mum rates. call your attention to
the fact that my proposal is not to
give the commission power to initiate
or 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 be exacted from any
corporation which fails to respect an
order OF the commission. regard this
power to establish a maximum rate
as being essential to any scheme Of
real reform in the matter of railway
regulation. The first necessity Is to
secure It: and unless II is granted to
the commission there is little use in
touching the subject at all.
Rebates Really Blackmail.
Illegal transactions often occur I'M
der the forms of law. 1t has often oc-
Cured that a shipper has been told |
by trafic officer to buy a large |
of some commodity and then |
after II has been bought an open re-
duction is made in the rate to take |
resulting to the profit Of the one ship |
per and the one railroad and to the |
damage of all their competitors; for |
II must not be forgotten that the big |
shippers are at least as much to |
blame as ony railroad in the matter |
Of rebates. The law should make II |
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
or OF concession, a 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 a rebate for
IT least twice the value of the rebate; |
this would help stop what is really
oiackmail. Elevator allowances should
be stopped. for they have now grown
10 such an extent that they are de-
and are used as rebates.
The best possible regulation OF rates
would, of course. be that regulation
secured by an honest agreement
lmong the railroads themselves to
larry out the law. Such a general
tut a stop to the efforts OF any one
zig shipper or big railroad to dis
eliminate against or secure advan-
ages over some rival; and such agree
nent would make the railroads them
ielves agents for enforcing the law.
rhe power vested in the government
o put a stop to agreements to the
letriment OF the public should in my
Judgment. be accompanied by power to
PERMIT. under specified conditions and
areful supervision. agreements clear
y in the interest of the public. But
n my judgment, the necessity for
diving this further power is by no
means as great as the necessity for
irving the commission or admlnistra-
I've body the other powers have
above; and IL may we'll
le inadvisable to attempt to vest this
articular power In the commission or
ther administrative body until II al
eady possesses and is exercising what
regard as by far the most important
Z all the powers / recommend-as In
eed the vitality important power
hat to fix a given maximum rate, |
1hich rate after the lapse OF reason
BILE time, goes into full effect subject |
o review by the courts.
All private car lines Industrial roads
sfrigerator charges. and the like should
e expressly put under the supervision
I the interstate commerce commission /
: some similar body 80 far as rates and
practically affecting rates are
The private car owners and 4
le owners of industrial railroads are en-
tied to a fair and reasonable compensa- /
on on their investment, but neither pri- I
ate cars nor Industrial railroads nor spur /
'acks should be utilized as devices for
touring preferential rates. A rebate In I,
ing charges, or IN mileage, or IN a divi-
on OF the rate for refrigeratlng charges !
just as perniciouB as a rebate IN any
her way. No lower rate should amply | 4