The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-05-31

duly high; there should be thorough
safeguarding against accidents. there
should be 10 improper Sinking of taxes;
the shippers of the country must be sup
nI;ed generously with cars and all other
euuipments necessary to properly care for
our commerce. and all this means that
the national government must be given
full and effective power of supervision
aud control But the interests of those
who build, who manage, and who invest
in the railroads must be no less scrupu-
lousy guarded than the interests of the
public. 1t is urgently necessary at the
present time I'm order to relieve the ex-
listing congestion of business and to do
away with the paralysis which threatens
our expanding Industries. because of lin
tied and inefficient means OF distribution,
that our railway facilities should be 20
Increased as to meet the imperative de-
mands of our internal commerce. The
want can be met only by private capital.
and the vast expenditure necessary for
such purpose viii not be incurred unless
private capital is afforded reasonable in
centive and protection II is therefore
prime necessity to allow Investments IN
railway properties to earn a liberal return.
a return sufficiently liberal to cover all
risks We can not get an improved serv-
ice unless the carriers of the country can
sell their securities; and therefore moth
ing should be done unwarraBtedly to i'm
pair their credit nor to increase the
value Of their outstanding obligations.
Believes In Proper Restraint
I enlphaticany believe that positive res
traint should be imposed upon railway
corporations and that they should be re-
CURED to meet positive obligations in the
interest of the general public. l no less
empbatically believe that in thus regulat-
ing and controlling the affairs of the rail-
ways it is necessary to recognize the need
of an immense outlay of money from
private sources, and the certainty thai
this will not be met without the aSSur-
ance of sufficient reward to induce the
necessary investment. 1t is plainly inad
visable for the government to undertake
to direct the physical operation of the
railways, save in wholly exceptional cases
and the supervision and control it exer-
cises should be both entirely adequate
to secure its ends. and yet no more hdr-
assing than is necessary to secure THESE
ends.
1 believe that the railroad men of the
United States are coming to more per-
feet sense of the responsibility OF the re-
lation which they bear to the public, ana
/ of the dignity of that relation. Iney are
| public servants of the highest and fullest
sense. Indeed, there is not brakeman
nor a switchman upon the most remote
road in the land who does not fill pup
| lie function and render service OF slarSe
public usefulness We begrudge nelther
honor nor reward to these men to whom
| we enturst our lives and our properly
| Behind those active workers IN the ran
road field are those who have tn edeterm-
| natiOn of railroad policies. These men
| are entitled to great rewards; and in re-
/ turn public opinion is right in holding
them to a rigid accountability for the
way they perform their public duties. Fer
several months past some. if not all, OF
/ our roads have been in a condition oil
| extreme congestion. Doubtless this Is
| mainly due to the fact that the country
/ has outgrown its railroads. that our pros
perity has increased at such rate that
4 reWlNnr nn-rTr
/ roads have been unable to keep pace witt
| its growth But it is also true that ordin-
| airy methods of operation, which holC
| good in placid time of steady and regular
! movement, should at a time OF crisis yieic
| to the imperative necessities of public
/ need