The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-09-13

whether two cents mile was too high
or too low a charge to be exacted from
the travelling public. lf these two-cent
fare legislatures had gone at the mat.
ter calmly and soundly, they would
have investigated the cost OF carrying
a passenger a mile and then, after al.
lowing a fair profit to the railroad for
the work, would have fixed the rate
accordingly There was no way of
knowing whether conditions would
justify a passenger fare so low as two
cents in Nebraska, nor was there any
way indeed of knowing that two cents
was not excessive and that, as mat.
ter of fact, the railroads ought to be
compelled to carry us for one cent
mile or for a half cent a mile or for
less.
And since any law fixing the passen-
ger fare rate at certain amount must
be based sanely and absolutely upon
the cost of such service to the carry
ing company, with a certain specified
margin of profit added, 1t stood to rea.
son that no law thus blindly enacted
could stand permanently If the rail-
roads could demonstrate to the courts
that two cents mile was not compen-
satory. In Pennsylvania that demon
stration has been made by the Penn
sylvania railroad and in case the high
er court of the United States upholds
the decision of the lower court, the
people, because of the hasty and base
less action of their legislature will be
compelled to go back to the three-cent
rate, whereas it is possible that, if the
logical investigation had been first
held the legislature might have made
a reasonable reduction which, with
solid knowledge of conditions for it's
foundation, could not have been shak-
en- in the courts.
Wisconsin has a peculiarly able
board of railroad commissioners. That
board was composed of men versed in
legislative science and in railroad
rates. It's members were appointed by
Governor LaFollette. That commits
sion went at the rate business in a
calm and sane manner. They held an
exhaustive investigation into the cost
to the railroads of carrying passen-
gers. The investigation required elev-
en- months and was most exhaustive.
The testimony covered several hun
dred pages. AS a result, that commits
sion declared that at two and a half
cents a mile, railroads in Wisconsin
could earn from four to five and a
half percent on their passenger SER
vice investment. That commission
held, as all reasonable men will agree,
that railroad company is entitled to
earn fair percent on it's investment
And so, having found the exact cost,
two and half cent fare in that state
| The railroad companies agreed to
make the reduction, declaring that
they could collect no evidence for an
appeal to the courts which had not
already been collected and digested by
the commission.
AS a result, if the Wisconsin legis
lature had been consistent and haC
been cool enough to fight off the fever
| ~ nfyit OF hinI lS
rounds, the travelling public of Wiscon
sin would have the benefit of a twenty
percent reduction in passenger rates
and there would have been no fight
made upon that reduction by the rail
roads But Wisconsin legislators go
the epidemic, the governor signed the
bill and law was passed, in the face
of the investigation that had beer
made, making a thirty-three percen
reduction and establishing a two-cen
fare. In Pennsylvania the two-cen
fare has been declared unreasonable
and therefore invalid, so that as mucl
may be expected in Wisconsin ant
back to three cents the travelling pub
lie may expect to go.
In New York the legislature passed
a two-cent law but Governor Hughes
held that proper investigation upol
which to base the reduction had no
been made and that therefore the mea
sure should not become law. He We
toed the bill and his judgment has beer
upheld in the Pennsylvania case.
1t seems reasonable that if a two
cent fare law in thickly settled Penn
sylvania is non-compensatory unrea
sonable and confiscatory, similar Law
can not permanently stand the test o
the courts for more sparsely settle'
Nebraska.
If the Pennsylvania court decision
may be taken as an indication of wha
will happen when the Nebraska law
finally settled in the courts, we of Nc
hra ska NAV reasonably exnect that w