New-York tribune., 1906-08-31
RAILROADS AND TRUSTS.

hAILhcADS AND TRUSTS.
The railroad question Is also interviewer with the
trust question. Nearly all the private monopolies
have received rebates or secured other advantages
at the hands Of the RAILROADS would go fsr toward
Gripping Ing the trusts and rejoiGe that the Presi,
upon Congress- While the law as !, was finally
wished, It deserves a fair trial
Rate regulation was. absolutely necessary. and
ditions which previously existed; but we must not
the hands S Of commission appointed by the Presi II
dent Introduces new danger. IL ON appointive
exercise Of that power Increase or decrease by
hundreds OF millions Of 5S dollars the annual reye7
that they have large RscTHary interest S IN tHs
Experience has demonstrated that municipaB cor
rupton is largely traceable the fact that fran
and thus increase their dividends II the railroad
t adopt the sane m & oe {n 1 fR @ IN
ernment is likely 70 increase as rapidly throughout
ownership has increased in the cities
have already reached cd the concusi9n that rail-
that they must ultimately become public property
OF the whole Community In accordance with the
we'll defined theory that public ownership is neces-
know know that the eoGntry is ready for this change:
favor il. but I believe that an increasing number
OF the members OF all parties see In public owner
esos g ns' and places ana Tor the extoronate Tes
for the carrying Of freight and passengers.
FEDERAL. OWNERSHIP PLAN
Believing. however, that the operation Of all the
in centralization which would ali but obliterate
state lines prefer TO see only the trunk lines
lines by the several state governments some have
ts dual a. 1n Sas as @ & h
Is entirely practicable Nearly all the railroads OF
pir. not even owning the trunk lines and vet the
Interstate traffic IS wise obstructed In trav-
through Turkey Bulgaria. servla. Hungary ana
each country owns and operates It's own roads and
different languages are spoken on the different dt
IT'S railroads. but they have trouble about inter-
state traffic: although their political relations
OF the LOCAL lines by the several state governments
tons existing in the various states IN those
where the people are ripe for g change the local
while private ownership continue In those states
= wn the be people s sun prefer 5yafs as ownership
prevent the watering OF stock. and In the acquiring
ton which II has 10 meet.
As TO the right OF the governments. federal and
doubt If we can deepen the water In the lakes
railroad transportation during half OF the year we
can build g railroad and cheaper rates the whols
the Panama Canal 20 lower transcontinental rates
We can o1i1d III Iairead bo from Mew YORK 70 san
rates The United States man Is Increasing so rap
on the cost OF trunk lines out Of the money Which
We pay to railroads for carrying through malls
toning this subject: beg 70 remind you that the
President Could NOT nave secured the passage OF
the rate bill had he not appealed TO the fear OF the
moro radical remedy OF government ownership and
nothing Will so restrain the railroad naagnetes
from attempting TO capture the Interstate Com
merce Commission the same fear. The high
handed manner in which they have violated law
and IGNORED authority. together with the cOrrup-
ton discovered In high places. has done more 10
create q sentiment In favor OF public ownership
than all the speeches and arguments OF the on-
popent. of private ownership.
] have referred 20 the railroad question as a part
OF the trust question, because they are so Inter-
woven that t IS difficult 20 consider without
the other.
TRUSTS 'LEGALIZED LARCENY"
just word more In regard 70 the trusts Som.
defend them on the ground that they are an sco-
noiric development ana that they cannot be pre-
vented without great Injury % our Industrial sys-
TEN. This may be answered In two Wavs. FSrS,
trusts are n political development rather than an
economic one and SECOND. the trust system cannot
be permitted 20 continue, even though AZ ala re
suit IN net economic gain II is political be-
cause IL rests upon the corporation. and the cor
Iorau9n rests ypon statutory foundation. The
trust, instead OF being natural develOprnent Is =
form or legaiized larceny ana exist onlvs s0
long as The law permits t 20 exist That there ss
an economic advantage in. production on "a larpa
scale may 30 admitted. but because n,iliinn
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