Arizona republican., 1907-06-26
RELATION OF STATE AND FED-
 ERAI POWER.

GhHL FO"Ch'
 Where the state regulation of rates, or state legislation on other railroad subjects, directly affects interstate transportation. the federal authority should rule. For instance. let us as sume that the rate from Denver to St. Louis is s1.50 made up of Sl from Denver to the Missouri river and 50 cents local from the Missouri river to St. Louis. If Missouri should reduce the local rate in Missouri to 90 cents, it would mean the interstate rate Sl.3O, which means. in effect. that the rate on commerce between states has been fixed by the state commissioners in stead of the federal commissioners. This is only one of the numerous cases and is the same as is taking place in all the states and territories where state legislation, by reducing state rates. is establishing the rate on the interstate commerce; while our na- tionaI commissioners at Washington although authorized by specific act of congress, charged with the duty, and the only body authorized by law to make such regulations. seem powerless to prevent the disturbances of the in terstate rates.
 Such cases. which can be multiplied indefinitely. point to a conclusion that the federal regulation over rates should be widely extended. l am far from being an enemy of the rights of any state in the union, but do not under stand that these rights give a state the right to regulate rates nor to make regulations to govern the movement of traffic between states. Such an ap- plication of the federal power over corporations authorized to engage in handling interstate traffic, either by federal authority or by direct super vision. should not take away any of the power of the states over purely interstate traffic If the interstate commerce commissioners should estab- fish a standard of rates over the en- tire country after using all the in formation at their command and the machinery of the government to ad- just and establish a scale of rates that are fair and equitable. it is not right that the power of the various states, by their separate acts. can break down the entire fabric of rates so fixed by power granted by congress. There is. however, no doubt that the state can regulate the traffic of railroad. tele- phone, telegraph. water, gas, or other like companies which are exclusively state institutions.
 For instance. a railroad from Chi cagO to East St. Louis which does not engage in handling interstate traffic is subject to the Jurisdiction of the state of Illinois. alone. When, how ever. it engages in interstlte traffic by interchanging with other roads ex- tending beyond the state of Illinois it thereby becomes interstate, and its sit uation under the law is entirely changed. It has become subject to the whole body of the federal law relating to interstate common carriers, and has removed itself from all state laws gov erning the same subject. Thereafter. the state of Illinois may not, under the guise of a local law. reduce it's inter state rates. but such power resides only in the federal government.
 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COM
 MISSION.
 The scope of the interstate com merce commission should be suffi- ciently broad, and at a time not far distant, full enforcement of the law should be had. Ii will in time become a necessity that the proper fulfilment of the functions of the government, in dealing with this most important