The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1906-05-16

which permit it to profit both at the ex-
pense of Its rivals and of the general pub
lie. The Attorney General reports to me
tnat the investigation now going on as to
the shipments by the sugar trust over the
trunk lines running out Of New York City
tends to show that the sugar trust rarely
If ever, pays the lawful rate for transpor.
tation, and is thus improperly, and prob
ably unlawfully, favored at the expense OF
Its competitors and of the general public
The argument Is sometimes advanced
against comforting upon some governmental
body the power of supervision and control
over Interstate commerce, that to do SO
tends to weaken individual initiative In.
vestigations such as this concusively dis
prove any such allegation. On the con.
trary, the proper play for individual In.
itiative can only be secured by such gov
ernmental supervision as will curb those
monopolies which crush out all individual
initiative. The railroad itself cannot with.
out such government aid protect the inter
ests of its own stockholders as against one
of these great corporations loosely known
as trusts.
Approves Proper Agreements.
In the effort to prevent the railroads
from uniting for improper purposes we have
very unwisely prohibited them from uniting
for proper purposes; that Is, for purposes
of protection to themselves and to the gen.
eral public as against the power of the
great corporations. They should certainly
be given power thus to unite on condi-
tions to include the specific approval of
the interstate commerce commission Of any
agreement to which the railroads may
come. In addition to this the govern.
ment must interfere through its agents to
deprive the railroad Of the ability to make
to the big corporations the concession which
otherwise 1t Is powerless to refuse
The government should have power by
Its agents to examine into the conduct of
the railways-that is, the examiners under
the direction of the interstate commerce
| nf@-fn 10 nII - to-
thoroughly into the affairs of the railroad
as bank examiners now examine into the
affairs of banks.
Commission Needs Power.
1t is impossible to work a material i'm
proyement In conditions such as above de-
scribed merely through the fundamentally
of lawsuit. A lawsuit is often a neces-
sary method; but by itself 1t Is an utterly
inadequate method. What is needed is the
comforting upon the commission of ample
affirmative power, so conferred as to make
its decisions take effect at once, subject
only to such action by the court as is de-
manded by the Constitution. The courts
have the power to, and will undoubtedly,
interfere II the action OF the commission
should become In effect confiscatory of the
property of an individual or corporation or
IL the commission should undertake to do
anything beyond the authority conferred
upon 1t by the law under which 1t Is acting.
am well aware that within the limits
thus set the commission may at times be
guilty of injustice; but far grosser and
far more frequent injustice, and injustice
of a much more Injurious kind, now results
and must always result from the failure to
give the commission ample power to act
promptly and effectively within these broad
limits
Free Alcohol VIII Help.
Though not bearing upon the question
Of railroad rates, there are two measures
consideration Of which is imperativhy sug.
gssted by the submission of this report.
The Standard Oil Company has, largely by
unfair or unlawful methods, crushed out
home competition. 1t Is highly desirable
that an element of competition should be
introduced by the passage of some such
law as that which has already passed the
House, putting alcohol used In the arts and
manufactures upon the free list
Furthermore, the time has come when ne
oil or coal lands held by the government
either upon the public domain proper or In
territory owned by the Indian tribes, should
be alienated. The fee to such lands should
be kept in the United States government
whether or not the profits arising from 1t
are to be given to any Indian tribe, and
the lands should be leased only on such
terms and for such periods as will enable
the government to keep entire control there
of. THEODORE ROOSEVELT.