The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-03-29
STATES AND THE RAILROADS.

The relations of the American rail-
roads and the state legislatures have
not always been so strained as they are
now. At the commencement of rail-
road construction the legislatures were
usually willing to do all that was
asked of them. This was peculiarly
the case in the west, where the people
hungered after railroads, because they
believed there could be no prosperity
without them. Favors were granted
that should not have been granted. and
would not have been if legislators had
been more honest.
Pleasant relations were ended in the
west by the granger uprising. There
was a flood of anti-railroad legislation
from which the roads sought refuge in
the courts. Much of the legislation
was so unreasonable that the courts
set it aside The granger excitement
subsidized. and the roads had an easier
time Of it in the west. In the east they
had had comparatively little trouble.
LEGISLATURES there were more amenable
to corporate counsel. New Jersey was
one state which was owned by the rail-
roads, and New Hampshire was an
other Occasionally some state would
undertake to regulate local freight
rates In a manner unsatisfactory to
the roads affected. They appealed to
the United States courts for relief and
got it when entitled to 1t. 1t never oc-
CURED to the roads to look for relief in
any other quarter.
That harbor of refuge is still open. If
the Nebraska two cent passenger rare
law prescribes an unreasonably low
rate the courts will set it aside, as they
once did the unreasonably low local
freight rates of the Nebraska railroad
commissioners. But the railroads have
not so much confidence in the courts
as they used to have. or they dislike to
be engaged in perpetual litigation with
the states. When a road wins in that
kind of litigation the people of the
state seldom will admit that the VIC
tory was deserved. The road simply
becomes more unpopular. At this mo-
ment railroads have so much unpop-
uIarity that they wish no more of it.
For some reason the railroads are
tired of fighting state legislation. Now
that the national government has be-
gun to regulate the railroads the men
who manage them can see the adVant-
age of having it the sole regulator
Then they would be relieved from
regulation by those state legislatures
which they cannot control. Leaving
the railroads out of the question, there
are strong reasons why there should De
but one regulator of freight rates.
When the manufacturers of state ask
for a reduction of local rates their first
argument is that of some nelghbOrlng
state is giving it's manufacturers lower
local rates, and is thus giving an undue
advantage to their products-is pro-
tecting them. The argument is one
which is generally heedeu. The manu-
facturers of Indiana would like to Sc
cure the home market by extremely
low local rates. So would those of Ill
inois. Rivalry in this field may lead IN
time to disagreeable complications.
The railroads would like to find some
avenue of escape from the harassment
of unfriendly state legislation, but they
may not be willing to accept one sug-
gested. It is proposed that their CAPT.
talization, stock and bond issues, and
relations with their employees and the
public shall be subject to the approval
and control of the interstate commerce
commission. In return their STOCKS
and bonds are to be free from state
taxation. The taxing power or the
states. if exercised with greater V1gor-
am. it is likely to be-may cost the
railroads as much as the power to reg
ulate local rates. There are two rea-
sons instead of one why railroads
should favor exclusive national con-
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