The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1908-03-19
Railroad Siftings.

OufiHR the past rev years perhaps
no problem of purely internal nature
has been the subject of SO much in-
vestigation and legislation as that pre-
sented by the railroads, and yet the
solution Of the problem does not seem
to be contained in the immediate fn-
ture. 1t is evident there has not yet
been enough regulation of railroads to
satisfy the public, and if this cannot
be brought about thru the Interstate
Commerce Commission, then either
government ownership or control must
follow as the inevitable and final out
come of the whole question; and to my
mind this 10 the result most to be de-
sired. This is problem that directly
affects the general commercial condi-
tions of the country and one in which
the public is directly concerned.
Investigation has clearly proved that
the railroads have been guilty Of rate
determinations in favor of certain
corporations. But il we look at this
matter from purely business stand
point there appears to bs nothing SO
very unusual about it. We know that
corporations control an enormous vol
ume of the general freight business Of
the country, and competition between
railroads to secure share Of this busi-
ness finds its natural sequence in spe-
cial rates and rebates. 1t is hard to
see how anything else could be ex-
pected, for railroad deserving to ham
die the freight output of corpora.
tiOn must offer terms that are accept
able or loose the business. Besides,
common business instinct would nat
urally prompt railroad to offer a bet
ter rate to shipper making regular
shipments of several carloads of freight
than it would to one Offering oaly AL
occasional carload. This of course
makes it possible for corporations to
extend their control and destroy COM
petition, and it will be difficult to en-.
tireIy remedy these evils so long as the
railroads are operated by private cor.
porations and competition between
them continues to exist.
We have no valid reason for con.
GLIDING that it has been the object OF
the railroads to destroy competition III
the different lines of commercial in.
dustry, for their interests plainly poin,
in the opposite direction, aud the part
they have taken in bringing about
these evils is but the natural result OF
the present-day race between them fol
J business. However, it is by no means
the intention of the writer to attempt
to Justify the granting of special rates
! or rebates by railroads, and 1t is use
J less to look for the cause or source OF
an evil without seeking to find rem
J edy, and it seems to me that there arr
many valid reasons why the public, al
, we'll as the great army Of railroad em
ployees, should welcome either direct
| government control or ownership a.
{ the only solution that will entirely
solve the railroad problem.
|
True, this is by no means one
sided proposition, and there is almos
no end to the arguments that might b.
> advanced for and against it. Still i
, seems to be the only logical way t,
permanently dispose Of the question il
) all its phases. This would not only in
! sure fair aud impartial freight rate
and better standard of service, but i
} would also lead to safer conditions il
! passenger traffic, the hazards of whicl
r at present are manifest, with appsr
9 emily little sincere effort on the part o
8 the railroads to properly protect pas
. sengers against accident. Safeguard
J, imposed upon the railroads by law ar