Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-02-01

injunction. The ultra-conservatives who |
U %s to to eeang ha fe the opusr
Ing does become strong many Of those up !
on whom they rely to defend them will he
the first to turn against ,rmst N Men anr r
thing save the spirit of justice and fair
play: for those very public men who, while
It Is to their Interest, defend al the
the champions of conservatism Will, the
moment they think their interest changes,
take the lend in just such matter as
this and pander to what they esteem pop
ular feeling by endeavoring for Instance
effectively to destroy the power OF the
courts in matters of Injunction; and Will
even seek to render nugatory the power
err the very existence of the orderly adj
ministration of justice depends.
RAILROAD RATE LEGISLATION
Not only should there be action on GER
! tain laws affecting wage-earners; there
should also be such action on laws better
| to secure control over the great business
concerns engaged In interstate commerce.
| and especially over the great common car
riers The interstate commerce commits
sion should be empowered to pass upon
any rate or practice on Its own initiative
ever the commission has reason to believe
a proposed advance in rate ought not to
| be made without investigation, 1t should
| have authority to issue order prohibit
Ing the advance pending examination by
| the commission.
| would not be understood as expressing
an opinion that any or even majority of
these advances are improper. Many OF
the rates In this COUNTRY have been ad-
normally low The operating expenses Of
our railroads, notably the wages paid rail
road employees, have greatly increased.
These and other causes may in any given
case, justify an advance in rates, and II
SO the advance should be permitted and
approved. But there may be, and doubt
less are, cases where this is not true. and
our law should be so framed that the
government, as the representative of the
whole people, can protect the Individual
against unlawful exaction for the use of
these public highways: The interstate
commerce commission should be provided
with the means to make physical valu-
alton Of any road as to which it deems
this valuation necessary. In, some form
the federal government should exercise
supervision over the financial operations Of
our interstate railroads. In no other way
can Justice be done between the private
owners of those properties and the public
Inflated capitalization has gone upon the
market and has become fixed in value, its
existence must be recognized. AS prar-
tical matter it Is then often absolutely
necessary to take account of the thou
sands of innocent stockholders who have
, purchased their stock In good faith. The
usual result Of such imitation Is therefore
to impose upon the public an unnecessary
but everlasting tax, while the innocent
purchasers of the stock are also harmed
and only few spectators are benefited.
with difficulty be undone; but they can be
prevented with safety and with Justice
, When combinations of Interstate railways
! must obtain government sanction: when it
Is no longer possible for an interstate
: railway to Issue stock or bonds. save In
the manner hIn tSe BY the federal
i sure that the proceeds OF every stock anf
; bond issue go into tn. improvement Of
and NOT hs mhen
e ever It becomes material for guidance II
the regulative action Of the government
= :, the physical value of one of these, proper
Z ties Is determined and made known
there will be eliminated from railroad sc
! curlties that element of uncertant!
/ which lends to them their speculativ..
quality land which has contributed niue,
a to the financial stress of the recent past
:, ] think that the federal government
l. must also assume a certain measure o
:. railways in the handling of interstat
= traffic. The commission now has author
e ity to establish through routes and join
q fectve and in order to promote in time
y of necessity the proper movement of trat
!. Enc. think it must also have authority I
determine the conditions upon which ear
h may be interchanged between different In
y terstate railways. 1t Is also probable tina
+ the commission should have authority !
n n particular instances to determine tn
e schedule upon which perishable commod
q ties shall be moved.
~ In this connection l desire to repeat m
r accommodation that railways be PERM
~ ted to form traffic associations for tn
% purpose Of comforting about and agreein
n upon rates, regulations and practices a
n fectlng interstate business in which tn
e. members of the association are mutual
70 Interested This does not mean that the
q, should be given the. right to pool the
al earnings or their traffic. The law require
se that rates shall be SO adjusted as not ct.
O. discriminate between individuals localitit
iii or different species of traffic. Ordinaril.
I'd rates by all competing lines must be. tt
- the railway operations of this country ca
III not be conducted according to law wit
IT. out what is equivalent to conference ar
,s. agreement. The ARTICLES under which sue
to associations operate should be approved !
he the commission; all their oneratons shou
Mt be open to public inspection: and the rate
Se agree should be subject to disapproval
~ the commission.
no l urge this last provision with the san
eounSy Provides it's 40 paw s facilities
~ private capital Those facilities will n
be adequate unless the capital employ.
of is assured Of Just treatment and an : ad
DIS railroads, ! believe that, considering t
he to allow too liberal rather than too scan
lie earnings. for, otherwise, there Is gra
lie danger that our railway development mi
,rt not keep pace with the demand for tral
Of portation. But the fundamental Idea tn
AS these railways are public highways mu
re- re- he recognized, and they must be open
ge the whole public upon equal terms a
os- upon reasonable terms.
Use ANTITRUST LAWS.
" " In reference to the Sherman anti-trr
~ ~ law 1 repeat the recommendations ma
ii.s in my message at the opening of the pr
n en- congress, as we'll as in my message
w the previous congress. The attempt In Il
as law to provide In sweeping terms agar
est all combinations of whatever character,
int technically in restraint of trade as su
~, ~, restraint has been defined by the cour
NO must necessarily be either futile or IN
,es chievous. and sometimes both. The pr
nd ent law makes some combinations illeg
int although they may be useful to the col
mo try On the other hand, as to some hu
- combinations which are both noxious a
ILLEGAL. even If the action undertake
against them under the law by the g
eminent is successful, the result may
to work but minimum benefit to
public Even though the combination
broken up and small measure of refo
IN thereby produced. the real good aimed
ote cal,not be obtained, for such real &c
,eir can come only by a thorough and conti
nm. Ing supervision over the acts of the &C
hts bination in all it's parts, so as TO. Prev
tai stock watering, improper forms of com
to tition. and, In short. wrongdoing genel
the ly. The law should correct that port