Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-10-30
FOR PUBLICITY
= OF COMBINATIONS
Ex-MAYoR LOW FAVoRs RAIL,
WAY AGREEMENTS.
NOT NATIONAL OWNERSHIP
This is an Age Of Large Enterprise
Idle To suppose industries and
Transpo, tation Systems Can Be
Successfully Conducted in Small
uniIs,

Chicago, Oct. PA plea for the
passage Of law which would permit
eunoInatlons pelW cen RAILROADS, after
Ine terms OF their proposed amena-
.AsAI nad oeeM suUiiACIeu 70 the inter.
state commerce commission and mao
0sen approved 10y taat DOGy, was mauv
oy sem Low, former mayor OF New
Aork IN an address, on National Con
troll ot Railroads. lie believes that
sacn agreements If perfectly under
stood by the puDl1c at the time Oh
making made with the authority OIL
tie public and subject TO revision by
the same authority IN case OF need
may reasonably be expected TO work
IN the public interest. 1T is the
things that are done in secret, with.
out public knowledge, and often With.
out regard TO the public interest. from
which the pubic SUFFERS" said Alr.
Low. In an age like this, when the
large unit is demonstrating its econ.
omy in everything; when the steam
ships are larger than ever before:
"hen locomotives are more powerful
tlan ever before; when every sort OF
com oination in mechanics is on a
scale greater than ever dreamed OF in
any previous epoch; it is not only
idle to suppose that the Industries
and transportation systems of the
country can be successfully con
Quoted In smaA units, but it is also
manifestly to the disadvantage of
the public to try to have them SO con.
Quoted. The large corporation mas
demonstrated its efficiency, and its
economy too strongly to leave any
room FOR doubt that in a country like
ours, If the people are to be wen
served, there must be large eombin-
atioRs in the transportation service,
as elsewhere. The problem is how to
secure the benefit Of such combina-
tons without suffering the evils
which they also are capable Of devel-
oping. The only answer that has
been suggested outside of government
ownership and operation Ia gaYs~~
mental control; and that control
ought to be SO devised as both TO per-
NIT and to encourage combinations
and joint agreements between rail-
roads whenever these are In the pub
lie interest. The two things that are
necessary TO make such regulation
effective are, first OF all, a recognition
that the railroad service of the coun-
try is really part of the public SER
vice, although it is conducted through
private agencies; and, secondly, that
the object Of governmental control of
the private agencies doing this bust
ness is hot to limit their activities,
but to make sure that all their activi-
ties are conceived, first and last, In
the public interest This is really the
characterization of business
Mr.. Low said that the small In
weston is coming more and more to
demand Of railroad directors the same
sort Of self-abnegation that the law
demands, of private trustee toward
his ward. The tremendous increase in
the movement of merchandise, he
said has so far outstripped facilities
that the railroads themselves, as
well as the puo1ic want them en-
larged.
but the railroads find 1t difficult to
get the necessary money" said Mr..
Low, "and the public will not furnish
1t. Back of all this there lies two I'm.
fiuences which certainly have to be
reckoned with. The pIain man under.