The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-27
RAILROAD NEWS.
Stickney Comes Out Strongly
for Rate Regulation.
President of Great Western De-
cIares for Square Deal.
WHAT REBATES DO.
All MOnopOlies inCountry Found.
ed and Sustained by Them.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

Chicago, Jan. 27.-President A. B.
Stickney of the Chicago Great Western
railroad struck President Roosevelt's
square deal trail in speech at the re-
cent banquet of the Chicago Real Estate
board. He advocated the government
control of rates after an accurate in
vestigation of what would be just and
fair for both the railroads and the PEG
pie.
The essence Of Mr.. Stickney's speech
/ is contained in the following parag ph.
THE law of MISREPRESENTATION, as well
as of fairness and justice. demands that
the people, through the government,
should control railway rates by law.
The time has come when congress
should provide d commission to investi-
gate actual facts and by systematic
arrangement and consideration discover
the principles of reasonable railway
rates.
Mr.. stickney's speech, in detail, fol-
lows:
The railways have not been alto
gether to blame for the rebates. Atten-
ton is called to the evident fact that
no railway can commit the rebate crime
alone. It takes at least two, the shipper
as well as the railway. Experience has
proven that, until the universal railway
monopoly shall be effected by consolida-
ton into two or three, or perhaps one
| huge corporation, the large shippers at
| competitive points have Irresistible
power to get lower rates than small
| shippers.
Experience has proven that under
present conditions, without effective
support from the law, railways are
/ pOWerless to prevent rebates and kindred
| devices, and experience has proven that,
| as long is rebates exist, no manufacture
/ ric fl7, F11arpanfi1p business ig safe f. is
| a, notorious and undisputed fact that
most of the great trade monopolies of
| this country are founded and sustained
| by the rebate in connection with the
protective tariff, which has, in effect,
| taxed the people hundreds of millions of
dollars, not to produce revenue for the
| government but to enrich trade monop-
olies.
! 1T is my conclusion that, because the
railways have assumed the common law
I obligation of common carriers, and be-
cause they are public highways, it is
| fair and right to control their rates by
! law, and that because railways are
monopolies, the law of self-pressrvation
as well as of fairness and justice, de-
mands that the people through the
rates by law Such laws. however, to
| be effective, must be fair and just and
| intelligently directed to substantial
tfaets, which are the basis of reasonable
/ 1dlCS-
1.-THE country is indebted to Theodore
/ Roosevelt for the courageous course he
/ has taken in regard to legislative con-
! troll of rates. He has recommended
that whenever the reasonableness OF
any rate is challenged the Legislative
commission, after full investigations
shall have the power to determine and
put in force a rate which the commits
/ sion shall deem just and reasonable
And if this principle is incorporated II
the bill, it will be an assertion on the
part of congress of its right to fix al
railway rates.
For this purpose the enactment OF
such a law viii be immensely valuable
because it Will be a precedent in future
/ legislation, when the whole problem
shall come intelligently before congress
in the final contest which will, sooner
| or later. come.
congressional committees and The
! interstate commission have produced {
/ surfeit of expert opinions by expert wit
nesses, and I submit that the time has
| come when congress should provide {
| commission to investigate actual facts
and by systematic arrangement ane
| consideration discover the principles OF
reasonable railroad rates.