The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1905-03-03
The Railroad Rata Question.

10 just now exciting the PRESIDENT
and Congress, and there's . move
ment on foot to authorize the
Government to make rates. We
are satisfied that this is an error.
In the first place, the making Of
rates 10 q very intricate business,
and II is altogether impracticable
for the Government to fix rates to
to control all the roads In the
United States. This Is . privilege
that belongs to the roads them
selves, just as q grocer or q dry
goods merchant has a right to put
a price upon his wares. What Is
desirable is that there shall be
uniformity Of charges, and no
invidious discrimination against
individuals or communities. II
the Government can establish
uniformity and prevent discrim-
nation, II will have done oil that
1t Is called upon to do.
There are laws now upon the
statute books cmphatically con-
dcmning favoritism and discrim-
nation. We do not dodbt that all
railroads would prefer to charge
uniform rates; but 1t frequently
happens that those who control the
roads are themselves shippers, or
the business associates OF shippers.
and through them special rates are
obtained. This Is unqucstionably
a great evil, but thsrc Is q law
against IL, and this law has been
In existence eve since 1887. II
any community IL Disseminated
against, the Interstate Commerce
Commission has the authority to
correct II. Why, then, should any
further laws be passed on the
subject? What Is necessary II to
enforce the existing laws. II they
can't be enforced, It Is not likely
that more drastic laws along the
same lines can be enforced. All
railroads have public rate schcd-
ulcs. but 1t often happens that
some favored individual gets "A
rebate by virtue OF which he Is
able to successfully tight and per-
haps rout his rivals. This Is
against the law but as the ar
rangcmcnt Is secret 1t Is hard to
prove. Still the thing to do Is to
gather the proof, so n to make n
case, and then enforce the law.
There are a great many violations
OF the law which are hard to prove,
and any methods that will facili-
tate the collection OF evidence are
all right; but these methods should
be strictly In accordance with the
rights OF the people and the
general theory of the law. We
have already on the statute books
laws against all the evils COM
planned Of. Manifcstiy the thing
to do Is to enforce these laws,
before We pile up lot of addi-
tional laws upon them, that would
probably be even more difficult to
enforce. When there Is a law
against murder In existence, there
no need to pass another law
against murder, because some
guilty ones have managed to
escape justice.
We would not put any obstacle
in the way OF enforcing the exist
ing laws; on the contrary, we
insist that 1t Is the duty OF the
Government to enforce those laws.
But We object to saddling the rail-
road business OF the country on
the Federal Government. The
functions OF the Government are
already complicated enough, and
the tendencies towards paternalism
are already too pronounced. II
the Government will try to hold
the railroads to a strict COM
pliance with laws now upon the
statute books. 1t will have abou,
|, all II car attend to.-Editorial
Memphis (Tenn.) Commercial
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