Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1908-01-24
rWQ ~ RArE pECISlQN.

Tw0 CENT RATE pECISIoN,
ne tive eeas rate aw fos passenger tAres
"a railroads In Reeesylvaaia has eeea In,
validated ~ = eecislca Of the Supreme
CCGss q that SsSss delivered On Monday
last, ne essisSoe 4 Of great interest, ss a
nRnAes % States have enacted similsr laws
ne allowing iaesllisiele review 81 the de-
elslea Is nsse ~ The Philadelphia Reeond :
BY Tie Rosro~ess possible majority 4 to
S-&aa O. The ecssoWess possiels eOssiaeE,
Tors The Seprscas Coat has decided that
TIE tweesakssre law h Unconstitutional
ne CogFs aees noS dispose q the relative
hsce a the feResylSaala Railroads char
Ter q 1875 and The supplemental act re-
seryleS y The Legislature The right 10 alter
or amend the eeEnas Of the charter, II passes
ever The polas aaas By The railroad com
raHles that The peealties provided in The
statute were 80 eGoSmees ~ 10 accomplish
AZ lRlssslee IL cseessieg The companies hon
asserting their rtzAss> The Court reduces
The esss hetere Il 70 the question whether
Tie pstAeas employed hy the lower Court
10 ascertain whether The law was unjust
were soeaa. and, holding that they were
soeaa, The higher Court sHasns the con
elusloa of the lower Court that the act does
AZ iaSessSee - the railroad companies,
ne lower Court divided the passenger
haslasss isoa the freight Business, and held
he passenger easleess 10 be narsmHaerstive
astwo ceats Justices Stewart aud Potter
10 rot believe Il practicable or reasonable
70 separate The passenger hom the freight
easlnsss. Saa lessSce Messrssas believes the
RsaasylvSats Railroads ewR e9aFes sas-
taia he two eeat rates toS is average earn,
lsSs, iaele3taz Communication and roa0d~
rsp tickets, were oaN 1901 cents q mile
wAss tAe law was passed,
he sahjeet i samltsedly one Of great
asmealty, n, there are tive or three general
considerations that should be kept in mind,
Tee mlaosSy JessIoss explicitly assert. and
TIE msleStY justices Implicitly reeagalEe.
The rssAt StAe State TO ax fares. subject to
The rights q the owaers Of the railroads,
Hat The most delicate Of all the functions Of
a legislative holy Is the liberalization Of
What ess maa sA0ala pay 10 another for a
eo1maaay OF = service, Tue temptation 10
lsslslAse 10 the direction OC the greatest pop,
alStssy Is extremely slroag,
Tue railroad charges before this law was
passed were U0l hasseasome, aud II may be
seriously Questioned whether there vas any
reason lor the two eeat tare law except the
Ia TIA, the Republican party telln aeces,
sAry 10 make Ias voses a year Sgo BY putting
a promise Of that rate iato ia platform. The
majority Justices are eatirely correct In
HOLIDAY tASs ,he owaeFs Il the property are
entitled 10 liberal consideration, Cor they
would hardly have iaeurtea the risk Of loss
aaless there wSs also the prospect Of profits
above the standard rate Of Interest on Sc
cured hans,
Rat in considering the Injustice the two
CEN, tA,e Is said To do the railroad companies
there Is very great losee In wAa, Justices
Stewart and Potter say Of the impossihllisy
az separa0ag cue branch Of the railroad
business isoga another, The owners are en-
titled to = good rate Of pro6G but are they
entitled 10 Soaa rate on each branch Of
The haslaessg Ii -. what becomes Of the
contention of the railroad companies that