Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-08-06
p-ErrIroGGING THE CASE.

our able contemporary. the Kansas
c1ty Journal. which We 50 frequently
have occasion Go compliment upon the
s]oundncss or its views upon public
matters in general, makes a damag-
ing assault upon It's own good record
when d undertakes TO pottifog the
case Of The railroads in the matter OF
charging more for a short haul thsn
for a longer one.
Afer crltlcizlng President Roosevelt
At some length for his determined
stand In favor of the long-and-short
haul law, our kansas city neighbor
aags:
"Thc fact remains that no man,
from the president down. has given
any other reason for favorinE the
change than the fact that some rates
are higher or lower than other rates
aud That now aud then private indi-
viduals are given the benefit Of low
rates not given to other private indi-
yiduala. All this is granted, but how
20 prevent such occurrences Is not
made clenr by merely citing the facts.
NJ statesman viii vote FOR n bin un-
al he can see with reasonable ccr-
tainty that It VIII cure the evils com
planned Of. II is easy Ia complain of
too much or too little rain or storm.
hut how 10 prevent Il b. an unsolved
problem
IT may seem ahsurd TO charge
more Co carry q load from New York
to Denver than from Sew York to
san Francisco. Yet M man expects
10 live long enough tao see this
changed. why? because the Al
mighty connected New York ana san
Francisco by water. ana 90 is less oN-
pensive 90 carry freight my water
than hy land but, it is said, the
roads do carry freight from New York
to san Francisco by land and at the
water rate. Yes. they carry freight by
land that viii NOT stand water trans
p@urtation and charge what the service
BE- worth Then they pick up other
freight at the water rate, or near b.
and carry that sometimes at a loss,
sometimes at u small profit never al
a large profit And so ON through
the list.
There are good and binding rea-
SONS for most OF the rate situations,
which, on their face. appear unreal
sonlhle 10 ls safe To- predict that the
commission will never greatly change
The rates as they have Tor sa long
stoud 10 This proves true. mo- one
viii Dee able tp point out any effect OF
the new law except the maintenance
OF equal and uniform rates which is
exactly what the railroads sought to
accomplish by pools. and which is au
b.nlute abolition uf competition.
To an Intelligent and unprecedented
iulNman Sc would hoe wholly uunecca
3l tn can amy other witness Than
nIr Kansas Cit, contemporary itself
to est bI.-h rhc Justice aud necessity
of enforcing thc law relating 10 the
IauE anna short haul It admits
fquIf,Iy thbt th, railroads cannot
compel. with water transportation ln
business from the east 600 SAN Fran.
cisco. and That Whcr, such husiue. is
carried % has to Doe carried at loss
than "a proper profit. and sometime
at "a positive loss That ls correct.
except that Instead OF sometime
% should sny generally" And whcn
rut iu plain terms that means that the
load 900 frcieht for Denver or amy iu-
~termediatc point. has 10 )e taxed thli
much more, than is Just or proper in
or.,r t0 cover the luss that ,hc road
suffers ou the load which 30 carries tn
san Francisco. And The road itself
Receives 900 incidental OF Indirect benz
.tt 90 any kind from the carrying GO
lH.- fr,lrht which we arc old can boz
.rr..l more chcau'y by water. 70 is
3D. direct iu-. 40 sn much ON
,. .au nf freight carried under
H.h conditions and renders uccos
N Ina i.tzInr or an equal amount
Hf unjust and u-uuccrslp tribute
Hu.H t patrons of thr road whose
ur.rfs thc road. which is
. r'f even husiuess-Ikc ThIs
an cannot Dee avoided 10 thc
N.l AND ihelr attornc,s feH thc
" NH..a ve must assume they &c.
h. u0. Hr.y the president bui lisH
people, of the United States
la'f I...rmIued that % ihs COME
rn ~ 90 tho country wfI nal
ti lu-f aud in b hu-inrsrike usn-
DER vIIt iae public voluntarily thel
mlat l. .a under Comrulslon.