The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-23
SCORES RATE RULES.
Afr. Ripley Says It's Nothing Less Than
COnascation OF Property.

Los Angeles. Feb. 23.=At the an
nual reception and banquet of the Los
Angeles chamber of commerce last
night, President E. p. Ripley of the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe was the
principal speaker. His subject was
Rate Legislation" and he said in
part:
DO you realize how easy it is to
form what is called public opinion
upon any subject. I am here to say
that such public opinion as exists in
favor of rate making by the interstate
commerce commission has been aru-
hcialiy manufactured; that the COM
mission itself with a hankering for
more power, with the aid of one man
from Milwaukee with a grievance
started the agitation, and having start
ed in existing the powerful aid Of the
president has stampeded the country
ana at least one branch of congress
1t is my belief that not one person in
hundred, throughout the country, has
any interest in the question. The
charge has been made that the railway
mileage of the country is in a few
hands-that q few men can get to-
gether in New York and by a stroke Of
the pen, or a general order, impose
enormous burdens on the country by
advancing rates-it is not charged that
this was ever done, but only that it
might be done. know Of no subject
on which the general public has been
more deceived, or concerning which
there is such an amount of misappre-
hension.
Il refer you to the last report of the
interstate commerce commission where
you viii find it stated that American
railroads are owned by individual
stockholders to the number of 1928, 1000.
We can not tell the number Of bond
holders but it must be much larger.
When you read that a certain man
controls railroad you should under
stand that he is simply chosen by a
majority Of the stockholders to repre-
sent the interest Of the owners.
perhaps / may also be allowed to
state here that in my Judgment there
are no men in the country more close
~ watched than those controlling our
large railroads and no business con-
Quoted in more conservative and
straightforward manner.
The railroads are today and have
always been opposed to rebates sys-
tenn, for various obvious reasons; they
do not want to give up any of their
| earnings and they have no possible
object to discriminating in favor of
any Individual; they do not care how
stringent are the laws which may be
made in that regard.
"Of all the offenses charged against
the railroads, that of discrimination is
the only one that has any foundation in
fact, yet none of the bills proposed at
this session of congress touches this
1 question a all. The main feature of
! the proposed bills is the provision that
! the interstate commerce commission
may name what it considers a reason
able rate and that such rate must at
once go into effect-there is no pro-
vision for maintaining the rate. When
/ it is maintained of course it is just as
/ easy to pay rebates out of rates named
/ by the commission as out of those
named by the roads themselves.
we have seen that there is prac-
tically no complaint as to the reason
I ableness of rates, yet 1t is proposed to
put them IN the hands of a body of
men appointed for political service
without regard to fitness. Which of
you would like to see your business so
dealt wfth7
There are plenty of laws on the
statute books for such offenses as the
railroads have committed, or may COM
nit. Enforce these laws to the limit
/ before taking possession of private
property or putting into a straight
Jacket the one industry that has mainly
built up your commerce"