The Washington times., 1906-02-23
The Free Pass.

There is nothing so human as
human nature, and likewise there is
nothing more natural. This is by
way of general reinsurance to states
men who might feel aggrieved with
the views about free passes that this
paper entertains.
a few days before January 1 an
nouncement was made, with some
flourish OF trumpets and beating of
the tom-tom, that the Pennsylvania
system would not issue any more free
transportation. Some folks were glad
of il and only hoped the rule would
be enforced and made permanent. The
Times was of these. Others were
aggrieved at losing what they re-
garded as a vested right; still others
were cynical and didn't believe it at
all.
But the new rule went into effect.
and it's application seems to have
been in good faith and uniform. Con-
gressmen, State officers, legislators.
county officers, newspaper men.
everybody else who had enjoyed the
free riding privilege faced the neces-
sity Of paying or staying at home. 1t
was soon borne in on these classes
that the new order meant what it
said and was to be enforced.
What happened? The greatest
saturnalia of busting that Con
gress has ever inaugurated was set
on foot at once. The Pennsylvania
system was, perhapS the chief OBJ
jective of these attacks. Gillespie res
olutions and TilIman resolutions and
demands for information and orders
TO conduct inquiries were hustled
through Congress awoke to the ex-
actions and the menace of monopoly.
It seemed suddenly to realize its own
responsibility and its own power in
the premises. 1t reached out for
something to shake, and 1t was great
ly pleased to realize how far il could
reach and how effectively it could
take hold.
The consolidation of parallel and
competing railroad systems, the sup
preston of competition, the control
of the coal Business by the railroads,
the relations of railroad officials to
great industries dependent on trans
DOrtation-all these things have been
known to Congress for many years,
but Congress didn't worry itself
about them until a fortnight after
Congress found itself paying cash
fare.
Coincidence? Maybe; but more
likely it's just human nature. Nobody
exactly intended to be bribed by the
pass; nobody consciously relaxed in
his vigilance as a public servant
while he had it in his pocket But the
fact remains that efforts to arouse
Congress along these lines were made
year after year and came TO naught
so long as the free pass was in cir
culation; they produced results, sharp
and decisive, within a month after
the free pass was cut of.
1t was the same up in PennsyI-
vania; it is the same everywhere. The
inadequate taxes that railroads pay
are being investigated by legislatures
and councils; Congress is busy. State
officials are starting actions to en-
force fairer treatment in various re-
spects.
1t is idle to claim all this is only a
coincidence. These things didn't hap
pen while free transportation was
issued to the public officers and iegis-
lators, and that was why the trans
portation was issued, The railroad
managers don't give away anything
else except for adequate return.
What's the use of pretending to think
they gave away free passes as "cour-
tesy?' They got value received for
them; and when they quit issuing
them they ceased TO get the value.