The Butler weekly times., 1908-10-10

suited in a saving to the people OF MIS-
souri, OF Sll00.00O each year in the rates
paid for passenger service. OR, in other
words. it has enabled the people to travel
At a smaller cost.
THE REGULATION OF FREIGHT
RATES.
The conclusion that have reached as
result Of this litigation over freight
rates is that the fixing Of a schedule of
such rates ought not To be undertaken
by a legislature: such work cannot h.
successfully accomplished by such a body
in the haste confusion and inaccuracN
which usually attend the deliberations nf
4 state legislature. Such work should
he undertaken and accomplished by an
intelligent commission composed of men
who by training and study are competent
10 deal with this question.
During the progress of this litigation
chance was offered through the Initiative
of Judge %. NJ. Spencer. one OF the at
torneys Of the Burlington Railroad. to ae-
compliSh what | regarded as a Satisfac-
tory compromise Of this litigation. lie
offered To- put into effect FOR his road,
which would have ncccSSitatod that the
other roads do likewise. all of the rates
fixed by the acts of 1905, with the excep-
tion of the live stock schedule. and in
that instance he offered to establish
rate as low as that existing In any con-
tiguouS state, Mr Frank Wightman. one
uf the Railroad Commissioners, and a CO.
defendant with me- agreed with me that
this would he a satisfactory compromise.
and Governor Folk was also disposed to
favor il. But through the opposition of
the democratic members ~ the Board OF
Railroad and Warehouse Commissioners,
and particularly that of John a, Knott,
this compromise was rendered impossi-
BILE. and the litigation still continues
THE plscoNTlNuANcE OF PASSES.
Another instance in which feel that
| have accomplished result without lit-
cation which is of value and Importance
to the people of Missouri, is by securing
a discontinuance Of the Issuance of rail-
road passes. Since 1875 the laws of this
state have made it a miSdemoanor for a
railroad company To give or public Of
iicial to receive railroad passes, There
! has, however been no law prohibiting q
railroad company from giving free passes
/ To person other than a public official
/ Although the Constitution and laws Of
the state prohibit all Determinations in
railroad charges the legislature has. for
| some incNCusahle reason, failed to pro-
hihlt the issuance Of free passes though
an act of Congress prohibits such dis
ordinations in Interstate commerce. \
/ law prohibiting passes To puhtic officials
/ is Of little consequence or value 50 long
I as all the politicians who nominate and
help to elect those officials have their
pockets filled with passes. At the last
session Of the legislature | drew and had
/ introduced n bill prohibiting the railroad
companies from issuing passes TO any
person other than employees and those
engaged in works Of religion and charity.
This bill was opposed by the ranroad
lobby, and by using the argument among
| Democratic members Of the Legislature
that its passage would advance my po-
litcal fortunes, its defeat was accom-
plished, The Legislature having failed "a
do its plain duty in this regard, under
took 10 see what could accomplish with
out the assistance Of the Legislature.
called the attention of the railroads tc
the fact that they were. under the Con-
lstitution and laws OF this State, COM
mon carriers and prohibited from making
any Determinations In their charges fol
Transportation. called upon them to dis
continue the ISSUANCE of free passes tc
persons other than employees and those
Engaged in works Of religion and charity
and advised them II such action was not
taken | would institute suits TO secure 6
judicial determination of the question,
did this because | knew that for every
politician who rode on n railroad trair
free OF charge that 1t was necessary fol
the railroad company to impose an add
their transportation. And | believe will
Theodore Roosevelt that the railroads o
the country should be highways of com
mcrce open to all alike and upon fa
and equal terms. After some delay an'
some grumbling. every railroad compan,
in the State informed me that it eithe
had or would discontinue the issuance o
free transportation And there has beel
witnessed during the last year in th
. State, for the first time since railroad
were constructed. four state Convention
Of the two leading political parties t
which, according to newspaper reports
no one came on railroad pass who wa
not entitled to ride on one. Thus. ther
has been produced the successful result q
reduced railroad transportation to all AM
special favors in railroad transport alto
to none. And the diScontinuance of tn
issuance of fee transportation has re
2 suited in saving to the railroad com
- panics Of nearly $500 600 a year in Stat
passenger earnings alone. The discnn
tinuance Of the railroad pass has AIS
\ tended to n correction of the evils q
. hossism and corruption in politics an
u legislation. In bringing about this dis
. continuance of the issuance of free trans
Y pOrtaton. I wish to freely acknowledg
I the credit that should be given men lll
% Wells H. Blodgett. James l.. Minis
e Gardiner Lathrop James and Frank IIa
r german, Samuel W. Moore, Sam H. Yves
= and a number of other attorneys of tn
= railroad companies of the State who hay
lactiYely co-operated with me in -brinSin
t about correction of this long estab
s lishcd evil.