The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-09-27
WOODWARD TALKS
ABOUT BRIDES
WE'LL KNOWN WBiTER DscussEs
SUBJECT or GREAT INTER
EsT AZ THIS TINE


coi-JsH. Woodmdot Cincinnati o.
wen known writer ON economie
and political snb5ects and hasl
had Considerable practical e1perepee
IN taiiroad ~construedm ana e~perattont
ciosely followed the recent tnFestigat
ton made by The mterstate COMMERCE
Commission relative presents or
brides being oven emplpges OF rail
roads. as An indpesment 70 show pref
erence ~toacertain shipper Col Wood
ard. after analyztng testimonyE
reached The conclusion that the tnyes
legation was good thius because "
exposed the pfacfc between shippers
and rafir6ad EMPLOYS that was NOR.
aiy wrong and otherwise might have
continued Indefinitely
ter. said.
srhe startling feature OF alEot these
invssagatfons was thai all q the
bribes had been paid Soll9tarily 1y
the brber that they originally4 ots
tered II brides without solicitation
from the agents ofthe companies and.
that they did e secretly for the pufs
pose of securing an unfair and un-
lavfal advantage over competitors
ana that their acts were unknown %
the general executive oheefs OF tne
several Companies Seine OF stls
bribers attempts q justify their acts
by conparng them 7 tipping hotel
servants, claiming that the agens
were under:paid. but all of the vera
shown 10 have expected someSkind OF
discrimination against thetr compet
tors assthe result Of the bribery. the
companies not the sutterers by
their acts fprsthe reason thattn near
iy an, d NOT all shipments made the
rates paid were the same as those
charged eTery one else for similar ser
wee
rhe testimony however, did show.
that In every case where brides were
paid Tie brfbstakers kept the entire
sum paid chem; thus exonerating the
executive omctals of the companies
which employed the dishonest agents
But Ii did show a fact which cannot
he given TOO much prominence, and
that Isl that the percentage of bribes
taiTing agents wassmpch smaller than
Is me caseFamong public and private
employees holding similar positions OF
trust. Compared with public ot1cers
In any mercantile houses or any class
IL trusted aRentssin any private bust
ness the zraflroad agents as a class,
Stand prezeninent for honesty and
faithtsiness In the discharge OF their
duties. How many agents YER ofter-
cd Fbribes which were rejected was NOT
made subject Of inquiry by-the Com.
mission but ii it had been, INT each
a Who had refused had testified it
would have startled the world
Sew persons stop tofrefiect that IL
shippers we're all honest, there never
Woufd nave been paid ONE cent as re-
bates RafIroads agents, as a rule, are
not hur4aS5tor business which haste
be pIfchased; theishippsr demands re;
batSsuhder the threat OF sending MS
shipments by the weaker lines, which
81 the market with brides. No
faiiroad ever paid q bribe In the form
AZ rebate because 1t desired to do so
WAS paid under a form OF compul'
SION made possible by the existence
81 rafifoads which we're not commer
ciai necsetHs andswhichzhad been
constFhcted upong speculation solely
ana could never hope to force the
stronger lines 10 buy7them out except.
by means . the injury they couldsdo
thronsh Transporting persons and
commoditiss for less than reasonable
c~onpehsa4ion
Vt trnesthat many railroads have
made special rates TO encourage The