The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-02-22


railroads. A number of prominent
railway officials have agreed with this
statement.
And now Mr.. Shonts has been
prompted by the agitation in state
legislatures, to express his views. He
takes the stand that the railroads, to
win the confidence and protection of
the people, must throw down their
hands," make a frank statement of
true conditions, and ask for help. This
is what he says:
The attitude of the present national
administration on the question of
rates has not been to secure their re-
duction, but to prevent unjust discrim.
nation. Railroad rates in the United
States are lower than anywhere else
In the world, while the service under
normal conditions is better. | do not
think that the public Is demanding
cheaper transportation so much as it
is demanding safe, reliable and ade-
quate transportation. In the matter Of
improvements the railroads of the coun-
try, almost without exception, have
been pursuing hand to mouth policy,
which has proved costly to themselves
and irritating to the public. Costly to
themselves because before improve
ments necessary to relieve existing
conditions have been completed their
capacity has been exceeded by the
growth of traffic; irritating to the pub
lie because at no time in recent years
hnnn dol
and annoyances of q continued state
Of congestion. The result Is that the
railroads are confronted also with
state of public opinion extremely hos
tile. SO that the raising of money to
provide facilities so urgently needed
is, under present conditions, well nigh
impossible, although many of the cor
porations have sought to do so at the
risk of almost imperiling their credit.
The situation is grave one. If the
various states continue arbitrarily to
reduce rates, as some of them are do
ing, and the various laborers continue
to press their demands for increased
wages and shorter hours, the next I'M
precedented crop harvested in this
country will be record breaking crop
of receiverships.
| wish to say, and with all possible
emphasis, that in my judgment the
time has come for fair dealing to both
sides of this controversy The time
has come for what the president calls
square DEAL" but we want it all
around.
There is no doubt that in the build
ing up of these properties things have
been done which though. legally right
were morally wrong, but because they
were legally right and cannot legally
be disturbed, what is the use of exploit
ing the new when no result can oe Sc
cured except to furnish material for
the charlatan and the demagogue and
to intensity class bitterness?
If any government, whether nation
al, state or municipal, permits any in
justice to be done to corporations sim
ply because they are corporations, the
real sufferer is the small investor.
Let us compromise on the best avail
able and the most practicable terms.
Let the railway managers lay aside all
subterfuge and come out in the open.
Let there be maximum of publicity
and a minimum of legislation. Let
eminent financiers and captains" of
industry cooperate with the president
to bring about better corporate prac-
tees. Let them lay their cards on
the table and say to the president:
I'VE will uphold your hands not only
in enforcing existing laws, but in ask
ing such others as are necessary to
prevent wrong-doing, but you in re-
turn must protect us from the ire
sponSible agitator, whoever he may be.
Let us convince the public that we
will give it the best facilities Ameri-
can ingenuity can devise, and in my
judgment the funds required will be
forthcoming.
AS to labor, treat it fairly and it
will meet you half way. No sane citi-
zen or employe desires hard times,
and if they realize what our latest sta
tistics prove absolutely, that the mar
gin between prosperity and bankrupt
cy is not broader than a 10 per cent.
increase in the cost of transportation
and 10 per cent decrease in the rev.
enue received, they will join the con-
sentative forces of the country in see
ing that no steps are taken for bring
ing on the crisis.
Mr. Shonts' plea is one much in line
with the presidents attitude-a plea
for not only regulation of unjust dis
ordinations by the government, but
also a plea for protection under the
federal governments wing. 1t is a
recognition of the tendency toward
federal Capitalization as against I'M
equal state restrictions and laws, and
an appeal for centralized protection as
against unequal and sometimes drastic
state legislation.
The letter of President Brown of
the New York Central is much along
the same line. AS bringing out the
point that many state legislatures have
overstepped President Roosevelt's pro-
posed regulations for justice and not
malice, by seeking to reduce rather
than to adjust the business, the fol-
lowing comment from the Kansas City
Journal &c Significant.