The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-16
HYSTERICAL LEGISLATION
HARMFUL TO#RAlLRO.ADS
New York Sun, in Reviewing Conflict, Shows How.
Credit OF Transp ortation Companies Is I'm.
paired in Court Stage No

1 + ~ ~
Reviewing the railroad rate situation,
which has passed now from political
legislatures to the courts, the New
York SUM-, in a. remarkably strong edi-
torial. deals With the subject. It's cause
and effect. and shows that it has been
the policy of the various States to take
Everything and give nothing. %
| The decision of the Pennsylvania
| Court of Common Pleas, in holding the
two-cent rate unconstitutional. marks.
according to the sun another step In
the stage of recovery. Within the past
twelve months seventeen States. by the
| Legislature or railroad commission.
have reduced the charge for passenger
tariff. Like the rest, the New York
| Legislature enacted a two-cent law,
which was promptly vetoed by Cover
nor Hughes. Thus In two of the
richest commonwealth. where the
| area OF population Is more dense, the
credit of the transportation companies
| is not impaired by adverse Legislation.
while At Is rampant in the South and
| West. where development has not
reached Its finished stage
| Even IN Wisconsin. where an analHti-
cal and statistical investigation showed
| that two and one-half cents was the
lowest rate that in fairness could be
asked. the General Assembly damned
| through the two-cent bin.
| The Sun maintains that the demand
for the two-cent fare does not seem
in any place to. have been based upon
any definite principle.
| What States Have Done.
Ten States have ordered n horizontal
4 PRODUCTION in freight rates. and five
have legislated as to- the distribution
of cars Eleven States have created
commissions, vested with unlimited
power over railroads. Not a few have
fpassed laws relating to the hours for
trainmen. the regulation as to tele-
graph operators, adding S350.000 am
nually to the expense account of the
New York Central Railroad alone. For
all the roads this item VIII run into
the millions. Harsh and even rdicu-
lous laws have been passed in many
States. more annoying than valuable,
land extremely expensive.
Legislation OF Two Kinds.
| In word, the Sun divides Legislation
pertaining To railroads into two
|classes-that affecting service and that
affecting rates. The grievances against
the roads because of their service, the
Sun contends. is clearly the out
growth of an era of prosperity. But
a handful of years ago there was not
traffic sufficient for the roads. Idle
| locomotives flied the stalls in many
a roundnouse. The outlook was dark
and gloomy. Then When the calam-
lily prophets We're predicting greater
-disasters. the situation. changed the
| business Increased, here there and
| of time the railroads We're unable to
move 1t with that degree OF prompt
ness which had characterized it's effort
in dnller times. TO meet the prosper
] the roads must -expend $1l,o000O0 an
nually for necessary expansion and i'm
proNement.
Laws Made iii Ignorance.
The Sun says:
1T Is Quites}certaln that i e persons
Having greater experience orr knoWl-
edge than the present railroad man
layers can suggest better ways of OBJ
1Itaining the capital, equipment, ma
/ terials and the labor required to I'M
Stproye the service or. can suggest bet
ter ways Of handling the traffic with
Iminals. their suggestions will be adopt
led gladly. 1t IS certain th5I: tie rail-
Iroad companies are willing and anx-
lious to employ at large salaries the
,Ibest officers and employees that can be
gIsecured Yet, there Is here and there
5lnoticeablea tendency to take the man
|agement of the railroads away from
men OF training and capacity and to
-lplace 1t In the hands OF men utterly
! without experience. For example, the
,IRailroad Commission Of Nebraska has
INSTRUCTED the station agents of that
.lState to make reports directly to It of
! receipts, and trainmasters to make re-
ports directly to 1t of tho distribution
.lof cars.
!, THAT such action as this, together
with the indlscriminatet and wholesale
Instrumentation of those concerned In the
; administration OF the railroads. Is
breeding In the rank and file of rail-
! way employees a lack sof confidence in
land reSpect for their superior Officers
has already become evident in some
t PARTS Of the West. This lack of conf
: Idence may naturally be expected to
aIspread."
$ AS natural result Of this rate hys-
: and in some cases impossible for thu
railroads to sell the securities neces-
: sary for the acauirement OF additional
: capital for extension and Improves
|ments. President, Roosevelt is charged
with beginning the crusade, reference
being made to the fact that at a ban,
&Iduet rendered by the American Rail
way Association as a social compli'
, ment to Secretary Taft the lattertuset
1.-THE occasion for general arrangement
I; Uniting that the Hepburn bill was Z
!. good measure the sim declares thai
/ the wave OF accumulation spread from
, the White House to the capitals o.
the states, where notifies and not
: tack which followed,
II refers Mt length to the, troubles
In North Csrolina and Alabama, and
lshows moreover. that the penalties
|, have Increased by higher tax leyies
I, the railroads have recently been taxed
/. In South Carolina on the basis OF l0C
/. per cent, on the dollar. the aggregate
! si'lcrease being s1looo,Ooo There has
mi, t,,t2t Aioyt.