The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-02-06

with railroad operations and, through
years of successful business expert.
ence, are far better qualified to handle
aft airs delegated to the body than are
those whose anxiety to serve Is large
ly governed by the salary and whose
qualifications are based entirely upon
past political services.
It will be commended that men OF
large business experience will not
have time to attend to the work of the
commission; that their own interests
will demand their entire attention.
To meet this contention the News
submits that Montana has no need for
q commission that is permanently in
session.
If the salary proposed for the COM
mission were given to a competent
secretary, man thoroughly acquaint-
ed with every branch of railroad op.
erations, q practical railroad mar
whose duty-purely ministerial, albeit
would be to investigate local rates,
make just comparisons, prepare data
and submit in concrete form q report,
say once in sixty days, to the commits.
sion, how muchsbetter results the state
would get from it!
Put that salary at $500 OF $4,000
a year and you attract q vice.presi.
dent of one of u large railroads., q
man whom no railroad attorney or
agent could deceive or overwhelm, as
far as actual knowledge of conditions
is concerned. He would bring to the
Office an experience and an under.
standing of railroad aft airs that q lay
member of the commission could not
acquire in five years.
The Legislature could provide that
meetings Of the board should be held
at various points in the state to give
shippers in every section opportunity
to make complaints. The commission
should also be empowered to call the
attention of the interstate commerce
commission to railroad violation of
the federal laws.
Let US have a commission that can
act intelligently, fearlessly and i'm.
mediately. If the republican majority
in the Legislature wishes to preserve
for its party that confidence it has al.
ready inspired in Montana, it al do
SO by giving the state a commission,
not of politicians, but of honest, cap
able citizens.
How much more important it is to
the best interests of the republican
party to give the Istate a commission
that will stand above suspicion, will
be proof against railroad influence or
railroad Doodle, and will bring defin.
tie and tangible results in the form of
relief from railroad extortion and dis.
elimination than that the party
should pay a few political debts and
find for a few im%portunate partisans a
comfortable job.
Serious-minded men all over Mon
tana are watching this assembly's
progress 10 creating a railroad com.
mission. Upon the efficiency or inef-
f%iciency, the honesty or dishonesty of
that commission the republican party
will rise or fall.
The News believes that the salaried
commissioner plan is u bad one. The
man who is willing to serve his state
without compensation is to be trusted
ahead OF the otfice.hunter every day in
the year, and it would be no hardship
for three of the busiest and biggest
men in Montana, interested, as they
are, in this question of equitable
rates, to meet four or five times u
year and act upon the carefully pre-
pared report of a trained expert whose
experience and equipment would be
feared more by the railroads than the
pie.crust promises or feigned threats
of any political pensioner.