The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-03
ROOSEVELT ON RAILROADS.

The long letter carried in the dis
patches yesterday morning from Presi-
dent Roosevelt on the railway sItua-
tion was valuable, showing the tendency
of the times as things are shaping to-
ward National control of interstate
transportation But much remains to
be done before the full practical effect
can be given TO the ideas conveyed.
The railroad rate bill and the extension
Of the powers of the Interstate Com
merce Commission were long steps in the
direction which President Roosevelt
wishes the Nation to travel, At the
same time it is found now that there
must be a certain wedding out of form
er ideas and attachments before much
further progress can be made,
There is instituted a bureau of com
putation of railway capitalization, rates,
earnings, and profits which is expected
TO afford material for further beneficial
legislation. But right there comes de-
feet; the railroad company incorpora.
tions, as at present organized, arc State
franchises. Every railroad, under the
Congressional legislation already had, is
obliged to make the required reports of
its interstate business, but II is not re.
quired to make reports of its business
in the State i'll which it is iu-
corporated. For instance, the Ore
gon Short Line, incorporated in
Utah, would be obliged to make report
of its business from Utah, so far as
its Portland. Idaho and Montana en-
tensions go; but there would be no re-
quiremcnt, nor could the National au-
thority establish any claimt to require
this road to report its exclusively Utah
business. And so it is with every rail-
road in every State where it is incor-
porated. The local business could not
by National authority be included in
any report that Congress or any cxecu-
tive department might require,
The remedy, of course, is for an act
Of National incorporation requiring the
railway, transportation, and any other
incorpora ted concerns doing an Inter.
state business, TO incorporate under the
National act When this is done, the
proper foundation win be laid for the
complete regulation of railway and
other transportation companies, We do
not imagine, for instance, that Congress
would require that railroads should be
subject to its regulation, and river
transportation. as along the Missouri,
the Ohio. and the Mississippi, should
be free from any such regulation or
control. Such regulation would have TO
bc general and must apply to all trans.
portat.on concerns and companies alike
There are other forms of Interstate
business, manufacturing, food supply.
the slaughter house and packing busi-
ness and others, that would also come
under the general rule Of being subject
TO National incorporation.
It is manifest that the old idea of
Stale corporation for interstate bust
ness is antiquatod and insufficient for
the requirements now aimed at Why
should Kentucky, for example, have the
incorporation of the great Southern Pa
cihc railway system. which is transcon.
tincntaI in fact, operating IN dozen
or more Staies' What gives Kentucky
any Just right to impose its incorpora-
tions upon these States! The Southern
Pacific railway company is subject to
National incorporation, or it should be
required TO incorporate in every State
IN which 1t operates, The incorporation !