The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-08-20
.9snt e8ect for the fntufe tlian

kCoptinleq ny
deterrent eject Tor the future than
millions In d aa Etl +
Rate Bill Retsred jail Penalty.
In the rate BIZ, Congress amenled
the Elkins btll land restored impriSol'
ment as part ofthe punishment for Sc
cret rebates. Had the rebating and
dishonest practices Of the railroad
companies and the trusts, been as
clearly known to Congress and the
public, when the Elkins bill was con.
sidered, as they were when the rate
bill was passed, the Elkins bill wClld
not have passed so smoothly.
Narrow Escape Of El<ins Bill as Com.
pared With Rate Bill.
/ do not wish to decry the merits Of
the Elkins bill because aside from Its
elimination Of imprisonment as punish.
ment, 1t is a most useful measure, but
its scope is so narrow in respect ofthe
regulation Of railways that it cannot
be compared in Importance Of opera,
tIon acd effect 10 the rate bill. The
increase by the rate bill in the powers
of the commission in supervision, In
yestigatlons, rate fixing and effective
order making to prevent dlscrimina.
ton is great. Elaborate machinery
for making 1t difficult to violate the
law without discovery and for discov-
erIng violations when they exist, and
for affordIng Affirmative and manda-
tory relief in requiring railroads to fur
pish equal facilities to all, is found in
the provisions Of the new rate BILL.
Criminal prosecutions will continue to
be 1nder the ElkIns law, but as amend
ed by the new rate bill. This is be.
cause the Elkins law, as amended, con-
tains the part Of the interstate com.
tnerce Legislation which prescribes the
punishment for violations of the law
and so, in ordinary practice, comes
into operation after the violations
have been discovered under the other
provisions of the rate bill.
Good Effect Of Rate Bill Naturally Not
Show in Statistics.
The rate law has not been in opera
ton a year, and the beneficial results
from its operations though clear are
not ready to represented in statistical
array. Moreover, the chief benefit OF
tile net is likely to be its influence in
Encouraging attempts to renew the old
abuses and such benefits do not appear
in statistics. The immediate effect Of
the act has certainly oeen to compe
railroads to regard the commission
now as the important tribunal whose
views they must follow. They are
manlresting every outward disposition
strictly to comply with the law and Il
avoid prosecution or complaint. Tht
time has gone by in which the actor
Of the commission can be ignored o.
laughed at. The commission itself hal
taken up It's duties with renewed Ell
ergy, has proceeded, without awaitln;
the intervention of the railroads or thC
filing Of complaints to construe the &C
by Administrative rulings, in order tt
assist the railroads in complying wi
the law. With the large powers lc
correcting evils which the commission
now las, we may reasonably expec:
marked improvement in the conduc
Of the railways of the country.
The Attitude Of the Country Towart
The Rate Bill,
Tile passage of the bill was taken
the country over, and properly taken
as a most important step toward til,
suppression Of abuses which Na'
grown Up in period of tolerant pros
per'ty. It was thought to be an eirec
tive cure of the arterial system Of til
country which had become polsone
by dishonesty, injustice and fraud.
was a great solace to the conscIenc
of the country outraged by rQcen
revelations Of railway and trust man
] rsea..n; Passed at the instance O
Mr.. Roosevelt, it stands as monn
nett to the principle with he has in
cessantly maintained in speech an,
action, that the laws must be SO mad
that they can be enforced as vel
against the sins of the wealthy an,
the powerful rs against those of tn
port.
New Amendment to the Rate 81
Needed = Classification.
The rate Law does not go far enough
The pra lie under it has already dis
closed the necessity for new amend
ments and will doubtless suggest more
Such is the true method-the empirI
cal and tentative method-of securing
proper remedies for a new evil TIL
classification Of merchandise for trans
-.-I,. mast innortant mnkte