Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1907-05-03
RAILROAD men TALK
Continued from page 6.

chase of ticket seems ike flying in
TIE face Of providence, will find that it
has been decreed by the people, md
not by tie railways, that they must
receive no more free transportation.
and they will in time stop abusing the
railways for this change.
You must manage your railways so
as to placate the public. While being
conservative and protecting your inter
ests, you must give the public the
consideration that is due them. You
must reason and explain your situation
to congress, TO legislatures, to city
governments, TO commercial bodies.
Above all, you must make your
doings public; you must show (what
believe it is perfectly easy to show
that the railways Of this country are
not over capitalized; that not for an
instant could they be produced for
their present bonds and stocks.
Above all things, the interstate
commerce commission at Washington
must be strengthened; its numbers
should be enlarged; the salary of its
members should be increased; it
should be filled with the ablest men
of this country and you must cultivate
them and act in harmony with them
and show that you want nothing that.
is wrong, but wa Il and must have your
rights.
II desire to say that from years Of
experience with the members Of the
interstate commerce commission, who
have been there so long, I can testify
to their worth and ability-to the I'm
selfish manner in which they have
tried to serve both the people and the
railways, and when l say that the com
mission should be strengthened i'm
ply no disrespect of them, but they
have so many new duties and so much
more is expected of them than formerly
that it will require large additional
force to do the work and that force
should be strengthened by good men.
Il believe in time your position, in
stead of being looked upon as one Of
d sgrace, as it has been for the last
ar, will gradually get back into pub,
lie esteem until you will be looked
upon, as you ought to be, as the best
in the land-as the men on whose
judgement and exertions the public
prosperity Of the country depends.
You have only got to be honest
and to your ourselves true, bearing
for little while the abuse and con
tumely of the present and the future
will be yours.
by patience and time the legis-
lation of congress and of the states in
reference to the railways must be
harmonized. 1t will not do TO have
forty-six states passing forty-six diff
fe.ent acts So far as it is possible,
all legislation in reference to rates
should be left to congress, but the
states should exercise their full power
as to repairs and the conditions of the
property, etc.
Above all, you must have legisla-
ton giving you authority to contract
and make agreements between them
selves which can be enforced. These
agreements must be made public and
in case Of compact, passed upon by
the interstate commerce commission,
1t must have legislation providing that
no new railways shall be built or new
stock and bonds issued, except with
the approval OF the interstate COM
merce commission. know this will
cause storm among some railway pro-
moteIs, but, gentlemen, you have got
to submit and you might as well make
up your minds now that you are nc
longer private industry and he who
is not prepared to manage his railway
as public institution in accordance
with law should resign and seek othe
business.
"A new evangel must be preached
in reference to the railways; they mus
be placed upon higher plane, AMI
instead Of being considered by tn,
ordinary people as pariahs, they mus
be corsi Tered by all his benefactors
and you who have struggled along 81
faithfl lily during the past years, doini
many things that have been criticised
but doing them only for your compan,
and not for your personal aggrandise
ment, you are the men to preach thi
new gospel and produce higher an,
better condition OF affairs.
You would think today from tn
interviews emenating from Wall stree