Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-02-22

three contestants from the Montana
university, and the three from the
North Dakota university in the inter.
state debate held at the capitol build
ing Wednesday evening. February 20,
in which the North Dakotans won by
q vote of four OF the five judges.
The subject of the debate was:
Resolved, That all the railroads in
the United States should be owned
and operated by the federal govern
ment.'
y The Montanans upheld the afirma.
tive and the North Dakotans argued
from the negative.
Leslie r. Phillips.
The first speaker, Leslie R. Phillips
of Montana, for the affirmative, said in
part:
Nothing can be more important to
the prosperity of the country than a
good system Of transportation. Presi-
dent Roosevelt in hfs message to con-
gress, December, 1901, said, THE rail-
roads are the arteries through which
the life blood of our nation flows"
The president is right. Our railroads
are important. This we do not deny.
Amy argument which our opponents
may advance this evening in support
of the Importance Of railroads, we at
the outset, cheerfully concede to. Our
question for discussion is, Resolved,
that all railroads in the United States
should be owned and operated BY the
federal government. The terms in
this proposition are SO clear that no
definitions are necessary. There
should, however, be some limitations
put upon the application of the word
railroads. By railroads we mean all
systems of roads known as trunk lines.
All interstate lines and all short lines
within the states which are in any
way connected with these longer lines.
Street car railways Of course are ex-
cluded. Any reference made to these
by the opposition must be regarded
as arguing beside the point In dis
cussing this question there are two
theories as to how the railroad prob
lem should be solved. One is govern
ment ownership; the other, govern
ment regulation. We of the. aff1rma-
tive stand for the former. We main
tain that there should be complete gov
eminent ownership and operation.
Our opponents viii argue for private
OF corporation ownership with govern
ment regulations, and in arguing for
government regulation they will keep
Just as close to our side Of the cues
ton as they possibly can. They dare
not do otherwise. In the time allotted
g me shall discuss two phases Of the
question. Figstthe present system Of
legislation is mad equate. Second there
IS need Of reform. That railroad legs
Iation in the United States has been
inadequate can be shown BY briefly
reviewing the history of some Of The
attempts at government regulation.
About the year 1870 movement
I was started in several of the western
states, known as the Granger move
ment, an attempt at state regulation
OF railroads. This movement soon
proved failure,
After this failure it became evident
that federal action was necessary to
exercise control over interstate traffic.
So congress in 1887 passed the inter
state commerce act. S
The Interstate commerce commits
sion, like the Granger movement has
failed to regulate the railroads. It
has not been a success and 1t never
viii be a success Let me read you
some extracts from one of the reports
OF the interstate commerce commits
sion. IN the report Of 1889. page s, we
find: If any carrier gives discrimin-
ating or preferential rates it is the
duty of the commission to prevent or
punish such misconduct Unfortunate
~ the commission is powerless to per
form any such duties. z
The Elkins bill, an act which was
/ passed in 1903 and which was intend
cd as q upplement, or rather amend
ment to the act Of 1887. has also been
4 failure But this should be no sur
prise, for this bill was drawn up in
the office of Presto Dent a. j.. Cassatt Of
the Pennsylvania Railroad company. 1t
was q bill conceived by the railroads,
passed by the railroads and In the in
terest OF the railroads. It is well
known fact that the railroad men gave
cut more rebates in the ten months
Immediately following the passage Of
this bin than in the twelve months
preceding Its passage.
There Is another bill which was
passed BY congress last June the bill
: known as the Hepburn rate regulation
bill. This bill is intended also as 4