Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-10-01

fore, from the public standpoint, pas
senger rate reduction is even more I'M
important than freight rate reduction.
Passenger business is far less prof
liable 10 the railroads than is the
freight business. Yet although passen-
ger rate reduction is from any point of
view the least justifiable form of rate
reduction. Il IS the form which has
proved most popular with legislatures.
The only explanation is that the leg
islatures appreciate that a reduction In
passenger rates is more obvious to the
voter and therefore has more political
advantage"
THE result of this political compe-
tition," said Nc Hines. was to cause
less cooperation between the public
and the railroads at a time when the
railroads were struggling to meet the
demand for transportation that was in
creasing more rapidly than it was pos
sible to increase facilities. Railroad
officials had striven more faithfully
than any other class in the commun-
ity to comply with both the letter and
spirit of the laws regulating them.
Yet" said he, the necessities in the
political anti-railroad race have been
such that almost every local leader has
felt that he must utilize for the pur-
pose Of exciting hostile feeling every
deficiency on the part of the railroads
Every failure of the railroads has been
magnified and the misdeed of any one
railroad has been amplified into an in
dictment against all the railroads"
Mr. Hines said that the public has
been talked into" a remarkably "hys-
terical frame Of mind" He likened
the public to a very nervous person be-
set by a multitude of physicians, each
suggesting some different form of dis
ease and some different sort of cure
Disease, it was well known, he said.
could be magnified by imagination and
intensified by suggestion. I'VE have
large numbers of active and intelli-
gent men," he said, ''who are devoting
a great part of their time now to fur
nishing the suggestion necessary to
fire the public Imagination and to in
tensify and magnify any germs of rail-
road evils which may exist"
The agitation, he pointed out. was
extremely unjust to the railroads, but
more important than that. it involved
great udn2er TO the DuDlic.
THE railroads as they stand may
not be able 10 escape additional regu-
lation, but needed capital may escape
by keeping away from the railroads.
Other regulation will not create the
new capital which is badly needed.
Anti-railroad legislation cannot bring
new capital into the railroads any
more than the damper in a stove will
kindle fire in the stove" he said.
Hundreds Of millions of dollars are
needed for the further development of
transportation. 1t cannot be that cap
ital viii continue to offer for this pur-
pose, if assured at the outset only an
exceptionally low return, and if further
assured of a progressive competitive
antagonism and a long vista of bur-
densome laws each leading to some
thing else more burdensome.
Under these conditions thoughtful
citizens should do their best to i'm
press upon the politicians that there is
a limit to the advantages which may
be derived from anti-railroad agita-
ton. Such agitation will never cease
so long as the politicians believe it is
profitable. II will cease TO be profit
able when the public fully understands
the present conditions and their con-
sequences"
There was now, Mr.. Hines said.
condition of undigested railroad laws,
and before passing more laws the fed
eral government and the states should
ascertain the facts and understand and
enforce the laws they have. Any fur
ther legislation, he asserted, would
only stimulate further initiative and
competitive activity on the part of the
politicians and add little if anything to
the safeguards already existing.