The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-01-02
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 2, 1907.
RAILROAD COMMISSIONS.

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sions that have done creditable work,
and others that are no good. The ef'
ficiency of q commission depends
largely upon thejability and character
OF the public officials OF which it is
composed. This Is the conclusion
reached by the Wall Street Journal in
q review suggested by the proposition
to create railroad commissions in
Pennsylvania and other states that
are at present without supervision of
railroad business within their limits.
In the course OF its review, this au-
thority says:
Pennsylvania is said to be likely to
create a railway commission at its
next session Of the legislature. If SO,
it will have before 1t a much greater
body of experience than most OF the
states had when they in augurated their
commissions. There are 81 state all.
road commissions which really de-
serve the name excluding such as
those OF the states of Colorado, Mary.
land, Nebraska, New Jersey and West
Virginia, whose organizations are
nothing more than that of a fiscal Of
fetal with taxing orjassessing author
ity.
Taken as a whole, the thirty or
more state commissions may be di.
vided into two leading classes, the
advisory and the regulative commits
sions. The advisory type OF commits
sion has its best historical illustra.
ton in that of Massachusetts, where
the great work of Charles Francis
Adams and others has proved how
much an advisory board Of this char.
acter can do to remove the evils of
railroads in relation to the public
The regulative type of commission Is
best illustrated in hat of the state OF
Texas. No commission in the rail-
road field has been more efficient in
doing the business to which the people
have assigned it. Much of this credit
is due to the late ex-senator Reagan,
WIG A0VlCA VI Wiz ACAu II VIII
mission, he who was among the few
great men who helped to bring the in.
ters.ate commerce commission into ex-
~isteuce. What the latter commission
failed to accomplish he in his own
state succeeded ia doing to an extent
which had hardly been believed pos.
sible.
Probably half Of the state railroad
commissions have been failures in the
regul alive sense, even with all the law
necessary at their command. The per-
sonnet of their members makes a great
deal of difference. There are advisory
commissions which have much more
force in the railway affairs in their
own state than other regulating com.
missions have with their greater legal
authority. In hort, the presence OF
the right kind of men and the right
kind of methods.addressed to ration
al solution of',railway problems will
usually turn out better than more
highly empowered officials who do no,
recognize the real factors in the prob
lens nor the limitations of solution.
State commissions have achieved
much in the revision of the methods
of taxing railroads. In this respect
the experiences of North Carolina,
Michigan and Wisconsin, as we'll as
Iowa, are we'll worth examination. Or
the whole railway control of state
commissions has found ~its'province tc
be limited by the extension of the de
tinition of interstate commerce. Will
the narrowing of the states problem
it has become possible to deal more
effectively than ever with their situa
ton.
The federal commission was new
intended to do the work of the state.
in this respect, and the shipping an,
receiving public of any given STATE
should not be left without a direc
court of appeals for remedying evil
from which industry and trade ma.
suffer indefinitely unless removed b,
some such OOuy as q state cOmmls
sion. To leave the individual shippe
to fight his battles alone against
large corporation comes very near be
ing gross neglect on the part Of tn
state authorities. Whatever function
a state commission assumes, it shoul'
keep itself In the public eye by making
in every ~reasOnahle WAY. the facts an,
the findings In all disputes that com
under its jurisdiction. Public opinio'
will soon learn to appreciate its work
and, if duly enlightened, will go ia
to give the force OF law to the rulin
of even an advisory commission.