The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-20
TRY THE EXPERIMENT.

The demand OF the people OF the
United States for a law to regulate rail-
way rates has been answered, 80 far as
the independent act of each house OF
Congress Is concerned, and now 1t re-
mains for the House and Senate to
agree on the minor differences between
the two bills and for the President to
sign the measure in order that II shall
be q law.
1t is OF little importance at this date
to determine with what individual or
With what party originated tho Idea OF
rate legislation. The undertaking rule
and the just one which prevails in this
country. Is TO hold the party In power
to an accountability for the legislation
which Is enacted during the control OF
Congress and tho White House by that
particular party. and therefore credit
must attach to Republlcanism. Pres
ident Roosevelt and his party Will be
roundly scored by political opponents
for not making tho bill more radical In
Its provisions; and It ia only fair that
they should have whatever OF praise
may attach to it's effectiveness.
1t is also now OF little Importance
In connection with the question of rail-
way rates-to discuss the painful ques-
tions OF veracity which have arisen
between the White House and the Sem
ate chamber No more distressing per-
sonal incident has occurred within re-
cent years: and with the elimination
OF the long legislative labor II is to be
hoped that the animoslty engendered
will have passed away and will soon
be forgotten.
Tho bill itself is a distinct advance
over any other legislation heretofore at
tempted In the United States. The In
terstate Commerce Commission has
never heretofore had any semblance Of
authority to AK original rates and It's
work has been largely perfunctory. 1t
has held It's sessions In the North In
the summer time and its sessions in the
South In tho winter time. keeping In
Washington long enough always to
maintain close touch with the appro-
prlation bills and the appointments for
tie or nothing, Now 1t Will have a
large task to perform. for It is not to
be doubted that the Interstate Com
merce Commission Will be one of the
busiest bureaus OF the Government, In
vested as It is with the large power
which is granted under this bill. The
railroads Will seek to maintain close
relations to avoid the decimatlon OF
rates, and shippers Will apply 10 the
Government constantly for redress OF
real or fancied wrongs.
The passing OF the rate bill Ia part
Of the general experiment in which the
people Of the United States arc NOW de-
manding action. 1t is based upon the
assumption that railroads are operated
against the public interest instead OF
for the public interest. 1t Is In limo
with the theory that competition and
attritlon are not sufficient in the busi
ness world. but that law can step in
and adjust and maintain relations bet
ter than the mutual interests of the
parties involved. In this the bill and
the movement OF which IT Ia part.
are denial of the doctrines of politl-
cal economists and denial OF the ex-
perience OF mankind: but then we live
in an age of swift mutation. and II
would be most ungracious as we'll as
useless TO predict evil results or even
unfavorable results from the measure
which Is soon to become a law, Both
the public and the railroads should act
in good faith under the provisions OF
the forthcoming statute, and should
give to 1t a fair trial. In this way alone
it's merit or demerit can be proved