The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1907-04-25
ADVERTISING RATES
ATTY, BARNES ADDRESS.

John Barnes, president of the WIS
consin railroad rate commission, gave d
notable address Monday night IN the
rooms of the Merchants and Manulac-
turers association. He gave clear ana
forcibIe discussion Of several possible
methods Of settling the railroad rate
nrohlam He pointed ont the fact that
the interstate commerce commission Is
much hampered in its work by the want
Of uniformity in the laws Of the several
states governing railroads and that for
the present the problem must be large
" dealt with by the states.
After brief discussion Of the growth
of the abuses which the state rate com
mission is endeavoring to rectliy Mr..
Barnes said that the solution OF the
rate problem is to be effected throuRh
one or a combination Of the follow ing
methods To grant permission TO the
railroads to conduct their business with
ont regulation, which was the case IN
the past; to institute government owner
ship, or to pursue the policy OF a strict
and inst governmental control. Mr..
Barnes advocated the last.mentioned
method and said that it should be
pursued until it had been demonstrated
70 be a success or failure. He further
said in this connection that, If regula
ton, after fair and intelligent trial,
should not succeed, then the only method
that remained to settle the question
right would be to institute government
ownership.
Following are a few quotations from
Attorney Barnes address.
The idea Of regulating railroads by
commission is in its inception and Is, to
my mind, simply on trial
"Theinter4tate commerce commission
is doing "a great deal Of good but the
people are getting only drops where they
demand a shower We are assigning to
hand pump the duty that should be
assigned to a fire tug
Railroads exist as a matter Of courte.
~ more than Of right. a railroad Is a.
much highway a. a city street. The
obligations of railroads always have
been understood by those who engaged
in such enterprise. They are defined in
the common law. The railroads do not
occupy a unique situation but are group
ed with all the monopolies The rail
ways are today wholly monopolistic
and they aresteadily gaining in monopo
listic strength.
Il can see 10 reasonable argument
against rate regulation. In any contract
between two parties it is not right that
one party shall determine what the rate
shall be for a definite service performed. ?
Il have only the kindie-t words for
the personnel Of the commission. But if
commissions are to prove asucces1 in
troir field, they must learn that there is
something to do beside drawing salaries
that TO qualify themselves they must
study and understand transportation
problems and that such knowledge is
not gained by intuition or by instinct.
They must learn that their purpose is
not to punish or to reward that in every
transaction the rights Of two parties are
involved, that popular clamor is not
synonymous with right that they should
neither dance to the music of The pol
itician nor become aba-hcd at the frown
Of the plutocrat They must learn that
railroads must he curoed by "A strong
hand. bat that hand should be guided
By Justice Regulation by such a com
mission gives assurance Of some measure
Of success. but beyond that ! can see
nothing but government ownership
Mr.. Barnes views on the rate ques.
ton, as expressed in his Milwaukee
speech, will command widespread at.
tention because he is reputei to be the
foremost authority in Wisconsin on the
rate question.
Atty Barnes was born and reared in
the town Of Liberty. Mmitowoc county.
and. rs hundreds Of the readers Of The
PILOT have the honor Of his acquaint.
auce we thought it not unmeet to give
she foregoing extended notice Of his al
dress on live subject