Arizona republican., 1907-05-31
THE FURTHER RETALIATION OF
 RAILROADS.

% T nE DrCofdlion uty duOIeSS OL 1ISS- fdent Roosevelt will not excite surprise in any quarter. It was known that his memorial remarks would merely preface a pronOGncement on the sub jetts Of the further regulation of the corporations and the valuation of the Tailreaes. It had moreover been made known by inspired White House dis . patches precisely what this pronounce ment would be. If the presidents speech had been twice as long it could have added nothing to the public knowledge in advance, of what his views were.
 There has been a good deal of reg ulation of the railroads within the past year, without any overwhelming beneficial results to shippers. to those who send or receive freight to those who travel or otherwise patronize the sailreads-the general public. It might have been supposed that the speech of the president would indicate to these interested classes in what manner they were ultimately to be benefited by the regulation now in progress or by that further regulation which is to be put in progress.
 The shippers, the patrons of the roads, the general public which has lain under grieviOus freight rates will have to wait until the railroads shall have been forced into honest methods in their dealings with each other. Thsre is by the way one member of the general public for whom the pres ident expressed solicitude, the small investor. in the capital stock of the Tosds-a small capitalist himself.
 According to our observation he is rather infrequent and when he is found, he is found to be pleased with his investment. He is clamoring for no regulation in his behalf. If he owns shares in n strong railroad he wants that road to be let alone. If he happens to own shares in q worthless or wildcat railroad he is in the same boat with the man who owns shares in a wildcat mine or any other fake and worthless enterprise.
 The fake and worthless railroads are not the ones aimed at by the regula- tors. They are after the great sys- tems like that for instance Of MT. Hartman. IL may be safely aasserted that .n.. Southern Pacific, the Union Pacific or any of the other Hartman lines feels himself in need Of the governments 70 activity in his behalf. Large stock holders like those who are aiming at control and falling short of it are the only ones who at this juncture are de- sirous of government control.
 So. as outlined by the presidents re- marks an extension of the power al- ready vested in the government for the regulation of the railroads is pro- posed not for the benefit of the people but for the purpose Of making the government the arbitrator in disputes between those in control of the roads and those who aspire 10 the control. quarrels in which the peonie as a mass have not the slightest material inter cst
 year ago an overwhelming ma jofity of the people of the country looked hopefully forwarded To The operations of the interstate commerce commission under its broader powers Nov growing number of the people believe that there has perhaps been ioo much regulation of the wrong kind and roo little of the expected kind. Ai any rate there has been nn relief from Tho conditions that had been complained of bui conditions iu other Fssperis have berome worse, We iB 'bis territory, have seen railroad ar- uFiiy stop Hs if blight had fallen ul"n c. w. had looked forward Co aH extension of lines into promising Hihlhs rsWps and agricultural fe- siehs There is hardly any such oan- siiu'lioH fh progress now. Ma afa told ihsi ihe railroads oannm secure ihe money foo lhe development af thelf plans ih e6nse1uehee of the Aei- iAiloh which has been aroused. Wiii they bs he better able to secure i If ihpy are put under further fesirae- tians7
 This is not the first time that a blight has fallen upon railroad devei- opinent. The railroads did not thrive under the rule of popuiism it Khnsas and Colorado nor did any other enter. prise public nr trivata