The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1906-03-02
HITS THE CORPORATIONS
Belief that Court Decision
will help Rate Bill.
RAILROADS AS CARRIERS
Must Not be Agents for Deal
ers in Commodities.

Never IN the past decade has de-
cislOn Of the Supreme Court aroused
SO much interest as that in the case
OF the Chesapeake and Ohio IN Mon
day. The decision need not have
been looked upon as startling. AS
Mr.. Hepburn declared in an interview,
1t was simply based on an old estab-
lished principle OF common law. But
look at 1t as they would, 1t was a
startling announcement for the rail-
ways. And It was not the decision
alone that made the average observer
ponder. 1t was coming as it did Just
at this juncture when the pending
rate legislation, the congressional
resolution of Investigation and count.
less newspaper and magazine indict-
ments have focused public opinion on
the railroads OF the country. 1t has
been proved beyond all reasonable
doubt that the railroads have done
more than any other agency to build
up the colossal fortunes Of the United
States, fortunes 50 great that the
railroads which we're at first their
allies have gradually become their
property and it is at the last difficult
to separate the owners OF great in
dustrial interests from the railroad
companies themselves. In fact the
railroads are now owned by the very
men they have made and the mere
suggestion from President Roosevelt
OF rate regulation this year was
enough to start a storm Of protest TO
the effect that the government was
in danger of rudely disturbing the
delicately balanced machine which
regulates the country's prosperity.
Now that the decision Of the Supreme
Court has come demanding the di-
vorce Of the common carriers from
the commodities they deal ia, the
prospect OF mere rate bill sinks in
to comparative lnsIgnidcance.
1t is as vet difficult to say just what
effect the decision Of the Court will
have. Rut it is plainly aimed at one
thing and that is to make the rail-
roads common carriers in fact as we'll
as in uame. The prohibition against
a railroad dealing in commodity it
carries will be somewhat difficult to
enforce. When the same men own
the railroads, the mines, the oil wells
aud the great slaughter houses, 1t
will be difficult to separate the in
terests. Probably the "interests"
will find a way out and everything
for them will 20 merrily as before.
But the decision at least shows how
the highest tribunal in the land looks
at the right aud wrong Of the matter
and what the railways may expect in.
the way Of treatment from the Court
as 1t is now constituted.
How deeply the Senate and the
House are in earnest in the resolution
of inquiry into coal and oil carrying
1T is difficult to say. One thing is
fairly certain, and that is they will
not get much more ouJ OF the Inter
state Commerce Commission than
they shake out. Now that Congress
appears at least to be thoroughly
aroused, perhaps the commission will
become industrious and do uneXpect-
ed things. But it will need consider
able encouragement and stirring up.Q
The anthracite roads have already
announced that they are not troubled
over the courts decision, that they
are so fixed that it will not touch
them. But IL it has the effect it
obviously was intended to have, it
will strike both the anthracite and
the soft coal roads, the Standard Oil
monopoly the packing combine and a
lot Of other big business interests
that have built up immense fortunes
out OF compelling the railroads to act,
not as common carriers, but as special
agents to augment their already
enormous profits.
The general effect OF the courts
decision on the rate bill is of necessi
ty good. Mr.. Hepburn himself says
that the fuss in the Senate over the
assertion OF a court review clause In