New-York tribune., 1907-08-11
REEKQEWCE

Judge Lands imposed the maximum fine of S2O"O
for each OF the 1.462 carload lots shipped at the
Illegal rate But IL he had assumed that each one
hundred pounds. instead OF each carload, or say
twenty TONS illegally shipped he might have
imposed the maximum penalty on each OF Z1,hV
offences. making grand total OF So 100000 OF.
even at the low minimum penalty of s1oo for each
violation the total would have been the round sum
Of sa2. iooeo. The question naturally arises that,
as the Indiana company cannot pay the pen
atty. whether IL can be imposed on the parent
company Incorporated in New Jersey. It has been
suggested that II the penalty Is sustained by the
higher courts the Indiana company Will be-
come bankrupt and organization will be
formed In that state.
On the heels of the Judgment Of Judge Lands.
but without generalization. it is declared.
the report OF the Commissioner of Corporations in
regard to the immense profits Of the oil business
and the tndefensIble methods which have been en-
ployed by the Standard Oil monopoly for the last
twenty-five years. and that its methods have
Injured to the benefit OF consumers The report
set forth startling figures. The total divi-
dends paid In the last quarter of a century have
been SoSl,$22so4. an average OF more than "a per
cent year. whle the total earnings are estimated
at sIs0po.OS. original investment not
ceeding S5.00.oo OF the methods OF the company
the report says IL has acquired its domination by
unfair competition and by methods economically
and morally unjustifable.' The report uses this
strong language The history this great in
dustry Is history OF the persistent OF the
worst industrial methods. the exactiOn of exOrbi-
tant prices from the consumer and the securing of
excessive profits for the small group Of men who
over long series OF years have thus dominated
I hear that streetcar companies have been on
tne rack In regard to their profits from standing
passengers, said Busy Man.
Yes" the reply. every one who rides in
New fork-and who does nOt?-has been deeply in
terested in the facts brought out at the inquiry in
regard 10 the management of the InterbOrough-
metropolitan Company. or some OF whose surface
underground electric lines every one has TO ride
more or less General Manages Hedley o,urted out
under the skilful questioning Mr.. Ivf-- specfai
counsel for the Pubi,- Service Com1,;sSio-' the
fact. which was already we'll known but never -
fore officially declared that the profits of the com
pary cam. frorc the Strap hangers. and that more
cars could be run in this non-rush hours but that
the company would not find I. profitable The real
test OF the law constituting tho new commission
ana Oh the success OF its work will be found i'm
what is possible to be done &c make conditions bet-
ter Tor the travelling public. The adoption of ire
type of car found most practicable the Illinois
Cen'Fal haiirond In Chicago for handling crowds
of passengers. together with the Boston system of
movable portion of the platform fill the dam
gerous spaces where trains stop curves NAV be
outcomes of the inquiry The lack of knovledee
by Mr.. Hedley OF the Boston appliances was not to
his credit with the public. whatever it may be with
MS employers. The heads of the corporation are
not TO have Immunity bath by being caIles "a
witnesses. as their giving evidence would protect
them from penalties, although the law gives no
immunity to corporations But even If corporations
have souls. they have bodies. unless ast-nI ones
and the physical penalty of imprisonment could
not be inflicted upon the persons responsible for
Illegal conditions. The outcome of the n,irv uexr
week into the methods the BROOKLYN Fani5
Transit Company is awaited with interest nv all
forts of the daily crossing of t.. .Pridgs of Sire,
over the East River
neld?'' F''o''
Governor Hughes has resumed work on his no.
ntical fences at Albany. Il man so devoted 10
the public welfare knows what that political tern,
means. III any man ought pray to bc delivered
from his friends he should. Undeterred bv his
failure TO get resolution passed by the state con-
mittee fsvoring Governor Hughes for a Presideu-
tial candidate early in the summer. Ex-Governor
Ode has been sounding his praises i'm Connect
cut and ne Is believed to have IL up his sleeve TO
propose a new resolution of Endorsement when the
state committee meets next month 10 nominate
the Judges Bartlett Cor associate Justices of the
Court of Appeals. The men in control OF the stotc
organization to meet in Saratoga IN ,fevfsa
means to Offset the plotting of Odeu An ef
fort has been made to discredit the story NJ The
herosm of Vice-President Fairbanks In the matter
Of the rescue of waitress from drowning In the
Far West An attempt has been made T., brinr-
Secretary Cortelyou TO the front the favorite
OF New York for the nomination but obstbo-
this is in the interest OF Secretary Taft annaors
uncertain. While Governor Hughes cur short bis
stay In the Adirondacks to two days less than two
weeks and resumed his official duties Secreta-v
Taft is preparing TO make "a tour of the world
which will bring him back to his native land inst
before Congress meets. His return will afford an
opportunity for display of popular enthusiasm
like that which greeted Mr. Bryan wnen ne GOT
back from his extended trip Mr. Taft viii make
some speeches on his way and sail from
Seattle next month to attend the first Phinn,na
Assembly and what has been ACCOMPLISHED
since he was Governor General He will afterward
travel over the Transsiberian railroad To Et,rope
There has been renewed talk of the future
OF President Roosevelt on the basis of the belief
that his purpose 10 decline denomination will re-
main unchanged. and the latest outsfvinc is that
he will Senator PIatt and take offic
at the close of mis- term In the White House and
go to the Capitol to attend extra session 10 be
called for March t. 1909 But while such a mappiug
out OF the future may please the imaginative il
by no means follows that IL could be made a real
ity, even II desired. Meanwhile the President is
devoting himself assduously to resting at his
summer home. and all the efforts induce him
to to various places for different purposes have
proved futile. save one, and that u to attend tho