Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-10-05
CONTROL OF RAILROADS.
Gigantic Struggle Between Corpora
lions and People.

lions and People.
Tie census bureau has ascertained
that the value of all the railroads is
S11.244.S2,WO and it is conceded that
nire-tenths of this eleven billions is
controlled by nine men. 1t is but natu-
raj to believe, eve if there was no ev-
ldence, that these nine railroad kings
combine together to protect the inter
estS of the railroads and charge for
transporting freight and passengers all
they a force out of the people. They
are charged with controlling congress
and legislatures and thus securing or
defeating legislation thai aids or in
jures them. The universal demand for
a law to control the rates charged by
these corporations is proof that in most
cases the rates are deemed unreasona-
Bile. A shipper has still no redress but
through the common law, and how can
any single shipper fight the millions Of
a railroad. with all the delays and e1-
pense. through to the highest court:
An aggTieved shipper can refuse to
ship his goods ut the rate demanded
and then sue the railroad for damages
or he can pay the rate demanded under
protest and SUE for a recovery of the
amount he claims is unreasonable.
Leaving out the question of expense OF
securing lawyers able to cope with the
high paid and experienced railrond at
torneyS. the time of the shipper alone
Is usually worth more to him than he
could possibly ove So the rail
roads are virtually thus free to charge
all the traffic will bear" which means
IN extreme cases something less than
contiscation of the goods shipped.
a shipper, under the interstate COM
merce law, can appeal to the interstate
commerce commission that a rate
charged him by a railroad is unreason-
able, and, after hearing the evidence
on both sides, the commission can de-
clare he rate unreasonable. What
then happens: Does the railroad re-
turn the ~overcharge or even reduce the
rate to what the commission decides
would be a reasonable rate? Occasion
ally the evidence produced has been so
overwhelming that the rate is unreal
sonable and public opinion in the To-
cality or on the line Of railroad has
been so aroused that the railroad Off
Gals comply with the ruling of the
commission and reduce the rate par
TALLY, but rarely or never to the rate
declared to be reasonable.
The discussion now going on about
giving the interstate commerce COM
mission power to enforce a rate it has
decided would be reasonable in place
of one that has been declared unreason-
Die is to force congress to pass a law
that will protect the public from unreal
sonable rate. Of course the railroads
are vigorously objecting and will use
every effort to prevent such a fair and
equitable adjustment of their auto
cratic powers.
The Republican leaders in congress
are under so many obligations to the
railroads for passes and contributions
to campaign funds to carry conven-
tons and elections that the voters can
expect no legislation that will really
control the rate making power from
the congress about to meet. The real
struggle will come when the Sixtieth
congress is nominated and elected in
1906. and as the nominations in many
districts are made in the early spring
voters will have to be alert and pre-
pared to grapple with the octopii-the
Republican politicians and their rail.
road co-conspirators.