Bisbee daily review., 1907-07-02
ACCEPTING THE INNOCENT RATE.


 The western railroads are wise in
 accepting the 2-cent-a-mile passenger
 rate, and in determining to give it an
 early trial, thinks the Gaobe-Deano-
 crat Most of the larger roads will
 adopt it, and on the greater part of
 them il will be put into operation on
 July L Many of the railway chiefs
 make it plain, however, that they try
 the new rate as an experiment If
 they find that the roads make fair
 profit under the reduced rates they
 will be continued. If, on the other
 hand. the roads lose money, or if
 they make a profit which does not fur
 nish a reasonable return on the in vestment, they will go back to the
 present tariff. They say, also, that in
 these days. when wages and the cost of materials are going up rapidly, it
 looks unfair for the legislatures to mark down the passenger rates, but
 the roads will give the new rate a trial, and after a few months expert
 ence, they will be able to tell wheth- CT they think it ought to be continued
 By accepting the lowered passenger rate the roads avoid a conflict with the state laws, and put themselves in position to fight the laws with ef- feet if, after an experience under them, the laws should be found to be unjust. By fighting the laws the roads would raise up enemies against themselves which would hamper them in the courts, and cause some embar- rassments for them which would be more costly than the amicable accept ance of the rates may turn out to be. By fighting the legislatures the roads would put weapons in the hands of their opponents which might be used with effect against the roads in the next sessions of the legislatures, or might incite new attacks on the Boads by congress next winter By throw ing the question into the courts the roads would unsettle traffic and dis turb business. It is fair to assume that the 2-cent rates which have been passed by the legislatures of many states in 1906 and 1907 reflect the public sentiment of those states, and in fighting these laws the roads would be antagonizing the communities which they serve, and they would raise up new enemies and intensity the spirit which has registered itself in the hostile legislation to which the roads are lowing. The railway chiefs think it is better to accept the ills they have than to fly to others that may be worse. Moreover. by cutting of some of the concessions which they say they will abolish, the roads may find that in the end their aggre- gate revenues are not diminished. es- peciaIly as the lower rates are likely to make considerable increase in the traffic.
 The majority of the people of the country want to let the railways as well as ali other interests have square deal The s15.OOO. 900 900 as sets of the railways represent an eighth of the entire wealth of the coun- try. Manifestly anything which would hamper this interest would result dis astrously on all the rest of the coun- tries activities. Everybody. however poor or obscure, would feel this blow ultimately. in accepting the recent Legislation. and in arranging to put it into effect at an early date, the roads i strengthen the hands of their friends land go a long way toward disarming their enemies. It will be well. too. for the roads to understand that the pro phecies of approaching calamity. 1 which are being put out by some of their officials are calculated to injure the roads even more than they are to harm the country. These dismal out givings, which are melted by a desire to frigbten the people into calling a halt on anti-raiipoad legislation. are more likely to promote than to pre- vent such legislation. They take the