Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-08-21
ABOUT rHE RATE LAW.


Secretary Taft's abe address at co
iumbus. ohio. which was printed II
full IN the Morning journal Of yes
terday. IS devoted very largely to
clear and highly Interesting statemen
81 the attitude 81 the government. 81
rathcr the present administration ant
likely the next administration, also
toward the most desirable end Of sc-
curing for the public a square deal
lie upholds the measure commonly
known as the Rate Bill." and con
tends that this If the only one Of the
several laws upon this subject which
have been passed by congress. by
which. through its enforcement, the
desired end can be reached
In that position. Secretary Taft
takes direct issue with Senator Fora
ker. who contended just as earnestly
in a recent address. that the rate bill
was unwisc, unnecessary and uneon-
stituiional-unwise because experience
has shown that rate making Is so diff
cult that only experts can perform the
work satisfactorily. unnecessary. be-
cause all Of itH valid provisions had
already been Incorporated In the Ell
klna law. and unconstitutional because
congress therein undertook to confer
upon the Interstate m COM
mission powers which congress Itself
did not possess. but which inhere In
coordinate branches Of the govern
ment The first Of Mr.. Foraker's OBJ
iections. Mr.. Taft discusses very brief
~. the second he merely notices, and
can hardly be said 10 discuss 70 al all.
white 30 u- third he devotcs, directly
or Indirectly. the principal portion OF
his address. and assuming the rate law
20 be constitutional. HIS reasoning will
hardly fail To convince the average
reader that the rate law. or some 9TH
er measure along the same line. was
and Is necessary. and therefore not
unwlsc-but whether practicable and
constitutional are points that remain
TO be determined. the one by expert
enee, and the other by the supreme
court
The rate bin had for lts object the
definite fixing of rates. 10y a standard
that should be uniform and not
c%hangeahle without due notice. To
the uninitlated hat probably looks
like one Of the simplest things In the
world. but it g., Ia reality. one Of the
most difficult aud intricate matters
connected with tho railway business
One case out OF e n Of thousands 20
an that is necessary 20 Illustrate this
fact suppose a grain man In Alhu-
querque wants 90 ship Il ton Of hay to
Gallup. n q icwolry man at d
same time wants 20. send q package OF
his goods worth more money. but
small enough to be carried in your
vest pocket are YOU going 10 charge
both customers the same rate per ton
That's IN extreme ease. ~ course. but
10 explains why r. classification ~ rate
sheet that viii deal fairly with every
body O. such q difficult thing to ar
range. and 90 the same time make %
90 familiar Co the public that shippers
viii NOT be- put to great Inconvenience
" HN "ANNNf'A NNAA NNAAN W NHt'NNH NN"A
nov is to find out what the rate Ia
here really is. since the Interstate
commerce commission has taken
charge Of the matter. n sounds like
a very simple thing 90 say that the
rate can be- learned from the rate
book bui this b. 80 Tar from being
truc that the Inability 90 learn the
True ate is one Of the shippers great
est grievance. IN fact. q meeting was
held in Ncw York last week o. com
slider this among other troubles 81
traders A. fhe c1u reads upon this
head. There should be az least some
ono place tp which a shipper can 60
Ca get b rate on which be- can rely
A. q BE- thcre is none NOT even the
commission who can always El,e bod
a clear statement of rates In effect
and especially without great DELAY
or course ihls should not he 600. bat
90 make % diffcrott o. is "a difficult
problem indeed U the new railway
law Was to Do anything. 30 was to
sweep away go obsruflilts about taf-
it, They were Ca De- -o Simple that
anybody who could use o. telephone
directory would be- able to tell what
the rate was from anywhere to ans
where There were to boz no more
discoveries q combinations 90 rate
which would give n a be- adtan-
taFe denied to another. Tho railways
were D. De- relieved of the old BURDEN
~ their rate stats and no shipper
uauli need to employ hiEh-puced tai-
rai 20 ieii hlm what b published
rates meant
This reform u siaw iu coming n e.
r. particularly small instaiimeut o.
have the commission itself formal,
rule that ne la~ = i-mnractieable IN
iis dfiliia H H. uai uisihie in hafr
ths rate shrela pasted az etefy sfa-
tan III dlmcuiilss which would