The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-24
bASEST CRIME Of
OUR GENERATION
Thus Does Judge w. D. Gaynor
Describe Abuse of Freight
Rates,
M0N0P0LIES ARE DANGER
TO FREE GOVERNMENT
Does Not Favor Federal Control,
but Government Should Ap-
point Freight Agent.

KANSAS CITY, May 25.--Judge w.
d. Gaynor of the appellate division of
the Supreme court of New York ad-
dressed the Knife and Fork club here
this evening at its monthly dinner
Judge Gaynor spoke on freight rate
abuses and said that while the actual
payment of rebates is now seldom done,
favoritism is still practicod in many
ways. He spoke of the railways as
public highways and said the fact that
they should be used to enable few
men Ia destroy their business rivals rs
the basest crime Of our day, He did not
favor government ownership, but SAID
that because of this favoritism it was
no wonder growing number Of people
wanted the government to take over
the railroads He said in part:
There is no prejudice in this county
against honorably acquired wealth; how
ever large IT is wealth acquired infa-
rnously which is under the ban OF the
splendid intelligence and integrity OF the
people OF this country. The prime object
tributive justice to all. without this OBJ
iect being fuilled. there can be no true
prosperity. Prosperity is the highest pro
consistent with the physical and mental
welfare of its members. accompanied by
a Just distribution OF the total prococt
among the producers. This does not
mean share and share alike. but accord
ing te the productive capacity, physical
or mental or both, or each II a few
hook or by crook, the total product OF
all who work, then the condition Is not
one of prosperity.
Rockefeller s Big Gift.
II certain individuals in short life
time become possessed Of so much prop
oil N.r,,, Nal c-if
10 charity: II one man can give aVaN
for instance. the vast sum OF S32, ,0o0, 900
In one gift without feeling IT any mG.,a
than you would miss 50, we make fatal
mistake II we ascribe such condition TO
prosperity. II we find the railroads being
used 10 allow a few TO acquire such for
tunes az the expense Of their fellowmen
By having their freight carried at lower
rate than others have 10 pay, so that
they arc able 10 create monopolies In
themselves, our condition is not one OF
prosperity. but /, Is dangerous to the
perpetuity OF our free government.
From the beginning Of the world the
public highways always had been built
by the government, In The same way
the government could have built our
iron highways-the railroads. And even
though privately built, the railroads OF
the country are stil public highways,
This Is the decision of oil the courts in
the land The corporations, nor the in
dividuas who control them. cGnnot do
with them aa they VIII, They are mere
TO run them as puolic highways, for the
benefit OF all and without any favori-
tisnl or discrimination TO any one. Every
free pass issued. every favor in freight
rates granted, is In defiance Of the law.
Some people are under the delusion that
recent statutes made these things un-
lawful. Not at all, They were unlawful
from the beginning. We only need stat
utes 10 make IL a criminal offense TO
grant them, and 10 jail those who should
grant them. That these public highways
should be used TO enable a few men TO
destroy their business rivals IS the bas-
est crime Of our day and generation,
Government Appoint Freight Agent.
Some have come to tho conclusion that
the government should take the rail-
roads and run them in order to end the
abuses. For my part l would not see
the government do 1t. Private enter
prise is too valuable to be eliminated
from railroad building and management
II 1t can be avoided. My own view is
that il is only necessary for the govern
agent OF every railroad. for he could
stop all rate favoritlsm at once. II
would not be for his office to fix the
schedule of rates, but only 10 see that
every one paid the same rate, no more
and no less, The actual payments of
rebates back To shippers is now seldom
done. but favoritlsm is done In many
other ways.
This favoritsm is freight rates is also
used TO defeat the national tariff by Civ
ing foreign goods q freight rate low
enough TO enable them to come in and
be sold at profit, in spite Of the pro-