The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-19
RAILROAD NEWS.
New Rail Measure Promises
Many Results.
Technical Journal Declares Law
Will Prove FfEicaciOus.
1T CITES INSTANCES.
Chicago Switch Tenders Or
ganize a Union.
Gossip and Matters Of Interest
in Railroad Circles.
CITES INSTANCES.


New York. Oct. 1s.-The Railroad Ga
zette gives, in its current issue, an in
terestng account of the new interstate
commerce act 1t asserts that the law
has already effected benefits. The prin-
cipal features of the comment follow:
The principal subjects dealt with BY
the act seem to be four in number: The
abolition of dishonest rates; the read
justment of rates which. though open
and honest, are shown to be unreason-
able and improper; the regulation and
standardization Of reports and accounts,
and, last. the enforcement of through
routes and joint rates To deal with
these four subjects seriatin:
1t seems a strong thing to say that
the mere passage of the law has al
ready effected the first purpose, name
| ", the abolition OF dishonest rates. But
such inquiry as we have been able to
make tends to show that the state
ment is not too strong.
We have found among railroad Off
GERS a consensus of opinion that rebates
are dead. Certainly" say they, there
are none being given on our own road;
We do not believe that they are being
given by other roads
Further, we find a very general belief
that they are not only dead but viii
Il
is it may be noted, too optimistic for
/ Wall street to share it, various reasons
are given. The main reason is that both
railroad men and freighters have shared
in the moral awakening that has affect
/ ed the whole country and have come to
see that the giving of secret rebates is
a pretty mean form of cheating.
/ But it is further said that railroad
/ men, are now realizing for the first time
I that with the support of law business
: 40 nd
4 that to grant them is not merely crime
I but a blunder. And, lastly, 1t is pointed
! out that the prospect Of fine and inpris
/ onment is a real deterrent The admin
4 istration, it is assumed, would ike moth
/ ing better than to put appointment rail-
road man in Jail. And il he gives re-
! bates he stands an exceedingly good
chance Of getting thereTHf
For in some cases at least it has been
| openly declared by railroad officers that
I if any evidence of the giving of rebates
/ is found It will be promptly passed on
4 to the Interstate Commerce commission
/ though in one Instance a prominent OIL
cial admitted that he would probably
warn his rival and give him chance
1 to amend his ways before handing him
over to- public justice-;4 so far. then, as
rebates are concerned We sum up the
situation by saying
are on the side of law and honesty; the
would-be law breakers have disappear
ed; if they reappearS thear colleagues
will. with the help Of 4he drastic powers
of Investigation possessed By the CONF
mission, suppress them
The second, subject that of rates
which, though open and honest, may
vet be held on various grounds TO pc
] unrea sonable, is a. much more difficult
one. In the past it can not be SAID
that all the decisions Of the commits
4 sion have been conspicuous for their
wisdom. On the other hand, It must
be admitted that the railroads have
often neglected opportunities to make
them wiser
Sometimes the. railroad men have
i adoDted an attitude of open hostility;
more often an attitude Of contempt
uous superiority. we nave even
4 heard it suggested that the compare
tive intelligence and authority OF the
railroad president and the railroad
commissioner might be measured IN
the ratio of their respective salaries.
| The day for this is, we hope and De
lieve, past.
The powers Of the commission have
undoubtedly been enlarged, the courts
will presumably treat their decisions
! with more respect than hitherto
| Moreover, the commission seems IN Its
recent actions to be inclined to snow
] the gentleness Of conscious strength,
modified still further by conscious lack
of knowledge. 1t apparently will en-
| deavor in future to guide the railroads
| rather than drive them. And the
wiser men in the railroad world are,
we think, prepared to be guioed.
Now the commission represents the
man in the street. But it also can
/ understand the strength of the rail-
I road case.
IN the matter of account keeping
there is even more positive ground for
hope In its eagerness to stamp out
secret rebates congress has gone so
! far as to enact that at shall be un-
lawful for carriers to keep any other
accounts, records or memoranda than
/ those prescribed or approved by the
! commission a provision which, in the
hands of an unreasonable body, might
have plunged many accounting de-
apartments in the country to chaos The
commission has. already notified tbs
roads that 1t approves IN advance al
the accounts they are keeping at the
present time, and has shown It's de-
Termination not to make any changes
without ample deliberation and full
consultation with the. officers of the
roads themselves
We have left to the last the discus
sion of what may hereafter prove tc
be the most important of all the pro-
visions Of the new act, section 4
which for the first time empowers the
commission to establish through
routes and joint rates and prescribe
the division of such rates. There is, il
Is true a limitation on this sweeping
power in the words. provided no rea-
sonable and satisfactory through route
exists" This raises the interesting
| question, what is a through route2 In
English Iaw-and English and Ameri-
can railroad laws are quite alike, the
actual words being often borrowed by
the one country from another, a
i through route is a route over tho
roads OF two separate companies
OSLERIZED MEN FORM UNION.