The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-05-25
Railroads assi Prosresa

IN MS testimony petorc tue Senat8
Committee on Interstate Commerce st
Washington on May ith. Prof. Hugo u.
Meyer Of Chicago University. an cx-
pert on railroad management. made
this statement:
Let us look Mt what might have
happened IL we had needed the pro-
tests OF the farmers OF New York and
Ohio and Pennsylvania Gin the seven
ties when grain from the west began
pouring 10 the Atlantic scaboardD and
acted upon the doctrine which the In
terstate Commerce Commission has
enunciatcd time and again. that no
man may be deprived OF the advant-
ages accruing TO him by virtue OF his
geographical position. We could not
have west OF the Mississippi a popula.
ton OF millions Of people who are
prosperous and are great consumers.
We never should have seen the years
when We built 10000 aud 1900 miles
OF railway. for there would have been
no farmers west Of the Mississippi Riv-
er who could have used the land that
would have been opened up by the
building OF those railways And II wa
had not seen the years when we could
build 10000 and 1900 miles OF rail-
way n year. we should not have to-day
east OF the Mississippi a steel and iron
producing center which Is nj once the
marvel and the despair OF Europe. be-
cause we could not have built up a
steel and iron industry IL there had
been no market for Its product.
I'VE could not have In New England
could not have In New England great
cotton milling industry; we could not
have spread throughout New York and
Pennsylvania and Ohio manufacturing
Industries OF the most diversified kinds.
because those industries would have no
market among the farmers west OF tho
Mississippi River.
"And while the progress OF this coun-
try. while the development OF the agri-
cultural west OF this country. did mean
the impairment OF the agricultural
value cast OF the Mississippi River that
ran up into hundreds or millions OF
dollars. IL meant incidentally the
building up OF great manufacturing In
dustries that added to the value OF
this land by thousands OF millions OF
dollars. And. gentlemen. those things
were not forcsecn In the seventies. The
statesmen and the public men OF this
country did not see what part the agri-
cultural development Of the West was
going 10 play In the industrial develop
mcnt OF the East. And you may read
the decisions OF the Interstate Com
merce Commission from the nrst To tho
last. and what IL one OF the greatest
characteristics OF those decisions? The
continued inability TO see the question
In this large way.
THE Interstate Commerce Commits
sion never can see anything more than
that the farm land OF some farmer liz
decreasing In value. or that some man
who has -four mill with production
OF 30 barrels n day IL bcln; crowded
out. Il never can SIRE that the destruc.
ton or impairment or farm values In
this place means the building UP "
!arm values In that place. aud that
that shifting OF values IN necessary
incident 10 tie industrial and manu-
featuring development OF this country.
And II we shall give To the Interstate
Commerce Commission power 10 regu-
late rates. we sail no longer have our
rates regulated ON the statcsmanlike
basis on which they have been rrSu.
lated In the past 10y the railway men.
who really have been great statesmen,
who really have been great builders OF
empires. who have had an lima g!nltion
hat rivals the lima gina tion of the great.
est poet and OF the greatest inventor.
ana who have operated with a courage
aud daring that rivals tine courage and
daring the greatest military general.
But we shall have our rates regulated
by body OF civil servants. bureau
Gratis. whose bcsetting sin the world
over Is that they never can grasp sit
ultion In large way aud with the
grasp OF the statesman: that they new
CT can see the fact that they are con-
fronted with a small evil: that that evil
Is relatively small. and that II cannot
be- corrected except by the creation %
evils aud abuses which are infinitely
greater than the one that is 10 be cor
-ectcd." Advertisement