The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1905-11-09

III regard 70 leglSlatlon relating TO rail-
way rates, the present system Of com
petitive rates and the effects of the sys-
tenn must be understood.
1T is well known that ever since com
competitive rates nave been made by the
rebate system.
THE rebate system consists in collect
Ing from all shippers exactly the same
and entered on the books of both the
forwarding station and on the books OF
the receiving station at full tariff rates.
And these full rates are collected and
the money Is RENTED to the treasury of
the company. And so far as the accounts
inc records at both the forwarding
receiving stations-which are the only
records which are by any means aces
knowledge of the station agents goes.
everybody is treated to he full tariff
rates on terms of exact equality. In
no other way can the necessary secrecy &c esy
money thus collected, sometimes 8 per
sometimes 10 per cent, and some
as much as 50 per cent, Is secretly
returned to some of the shippers, but not
do not necessarily get the same percent
age"
MI. stickney proceeded to show that
prior to the establishment of the inter-
state commission all the small
shippers had been driven out of business
by the enormous rebates given to the
large shippers in some cases exceeding
60 per cent of the total charges. d.
The Intention Was GOod.
The interstate law, enacted
in 1887, was designed to correct the evils
growing out of the system OF making
rates by rebates. The chairman Of the
senate committee, in explaining the bill
when it was introduced In the senate
said:
upon the theory that the paramount evil
chargeable against the operations Of the
transportation system of the United
States, as now conducted, Is unjust dis
elimination. The underlying purpose
and aim of the measure is the prevention
of these determinations"
The law has been amended, and as 1t
now stands, stripped of all its verbiage,
it provides:
That the railway companies alone shall
make the rates.
That schedules of such rates shall be
printed and published.
That as long as such schedules are in
force neither more nor less than such
rates shall be collected.
Tha uch rates shall remain in force
and cannot lawfully be advanced until
days after, new schedules are printed and
published; and
That the failure of the railway COM
pany to strictly observe such rates shall
be a misdemeanor, punishable by Il fine
Of not less than $1,000 or more than
5000 0 for each offense.
1t also makes it a misdemeanor for
any ~citizen-using the language of the
bate, concession or discrimination in re-
spect to the transportation of any prop
erty whereby any such property shall by
any device be transported at a less rate
than that made in the tariffs published
and filed by the railway company" pun
ishable by a like fine of not less than
81, 1000 or more than $2O.Om.
Railways Big Advantage.
r. ic true that the Law provi1aS that the
rates thus made by the railway com
panies shall be reasonable and just
but, whether reasonable or unreasonable
until the court decides that a rate is un-
reasonable it is a misdemeanor for a
citizen ito solicit, accept or receive any
rebate, concession or discrimination
whereby his property shall by any de-
lished rate.
Experience has proven that this general
proposition, that all rates hall be rea a.
s f6aae eour and is 5os ST lit ene0r praetieai Gn Galu by
During the thirty years in which the
subject Of reasonable rates has been in
controversy in this state l can recall but
temerity to invoke the courts to enforce
the law. The case was carried from
court to court on appeals by the railway
company II was finally decided in the
the United States just five years after the
first trial. The amount involved was ex-
actly 43 cents.
When we consider that the whole vast
revenues of railways are collected in
petty amounts varying from q cents to
practically fifty or sixty dollars, rarely
more han 500, it will be readily seen
that no one individual would ever be
likely to have enough at stake to justify
q contest with a railway company.
Everybody Is Mu1cted.
Railway transportation enters into and
becomes a part of everything. 1t is paid
for nnt nv tho. SINNERS m. raopiVarC t1lf
by the consumers, without knowing when
and how much is paid. When one buys
food or clothing he pays railway trans
ticket, employs a doctor, a lawyer, or
pays rent, he pays railway transporta-
ton. In short, it permeates everything,
and, like the air we breathe, no one can
refuse railway transportation and live.
Stating the gist Of the law in a nut
shell, the railway companies have an alb
solute monopoly in it's production, and
under the law fix the price upon that
which they alone can produce and WHICH
every living man must consume, and the
law makes it a misdemeanor for the con-
sumner to kick. Is this a square deal?'
square deal. Gov. Cummins, who is here
tonight, says it is not a square dead,
and every fair-minded man will say it is
not a square deal.
there are many competitive railways it is
Of little practical Importance, because
unreasonable rates cannot be enforced.
But in twenty years. possibly in ten
years. there will be few, If any. cOmpeti-
tive railways, and it therefore becomes
important, while we can, to establish the
correct principle in the law, because
when ali the railways Of the country
are brought under one control, having
hundreds Of thousands of voters, who are
employees, having absolute power to re-
ward and punish subserviency On the
part Of all occupations, and having an
unlimited "yallar dog" fund. the ability
of the then congress to establish the cor
rect principle may well be doubted.
Law Not Enforced.
The interstate commerce law bad been
In existence, but not to ny considerable
extent enforced, about seventeen years.
and the evils of discrimination We're still
rampant when Mr. Roosevelt developed
his present attitude towards railway
rates by that famous message to con-
gress, in which he said:
"Above all else, We must strive to keen
the highways of commerce open to all on
equal terms; and to do this it is neces-
sary to put a complete stop to all rebates
| Whether the shipper or the railroad is to
blame makes no difference; the rebate
must be stopped, the abuse of the private
car and private terminal-track and side
track system must be stopped. and the
iaaislation Of ongres which declares II
The Motor a Boon to ireland.
Tn M country has tha coming of tn