The Yale expositor., 1908-05-08
COMMISSION INEFFICIENT.

w cuutSudy DclIOlI IICS l. lcoo COil-
tanned parts of communication from
Frank A. Vernon of Detroit to the
Railroad Commission in Lansing. Mr..
Vernon struck straight out from the
shoulder when he said, "Any official
having authority to prevent the opera
ton of a railroad which menaces the
lives of its patrons should be held Grim
inally responsible when he doesn't per-
form his duty" Mr.. Vernon with
company of men walked three miles
from the scene of a derailment of
train of cars on the Toledo 81 Ann Ar
Dor railroad to Marion and in his letter
stated that at least One-half of the ties
were absolutely rotten. He said that
it was an outrage on the public to have
trains run on tracks in such an unsafe
condition as these are.
Right in our city we have an exam
pie of the inellciency of the present
railroad commission. Politics seems 10
rule them absolutely. Last August
Roy O'DOnnell was killed and Jas.
ODonnell was seriously injured at the
North street crossing, because of the
lack of proper protection. This eros
sing is dangerous to life and ought to
be properly guarded. Immediately af-
ter the accident our city officials got
into communication with the r. II.
commission, who responded that they
would attend to the matter in a very
short time.
Up to the present writing nothing
has been done. Jas. Wallace was in
Lansing on Saturday, and while there
placed the matter before the Commits
sion. All the satisfaction he could get
was the assurance that the Pere Mar
quette company would be required for
80 DAYS to have one of their own en-
ployees flag for each passing or shunt-
ing train. The flagman is to remain
but thirty days and no assurance is
given of further protection. AS an eX
ample of the tagging done by Pm en-
ployees we can cite the case of the
smashing of the Jackson bus few
years ago.
The commission under the present
administration seems to be most inef-
ficient. more wrecks having occurred
the past few years than in the term of
years at any other time. Another eX-
ample of their inefliciency can be
shown in the fight of the local creamer-
les against the centralized creameries
such as the American Farm Products
Co. and other trust concerns. The rail-
roads are discriminating against local
creameries in favor of the trusts, and
in the fight the local concerns will be
wiped out of existence unless the COM
mission remedies existing evils. These
trusts invade the smaller towns, work
up cream and milk routes and having
a large capital to back them with, very
lowtTansportation rates can successfully
compete with local creameries. Then
when the trusts get everything their
own way the farmers will suffer
The stockholders of the small cream
cries are waking up to their danger
however and shortly state organiZa-
ton, with active men at the head, will
be perfected The fight then will have
to come out of politics. There are at
present over 300 local creameries in
Michigan, about l75 of this number
being owned and run by the farmers
themselves. On an average of 30
farmers have stock in each creamery.
When these stockholders see that their
bread and butter is endangered, the
whole state organization will be over
turned and straightforward honest Off
Gals will be installed. The Il. Il. COM
mission overlook such complaints as
are made now, but in short time when
the farmers are aroused they will have
to change their tune. We hope to see
the creameries band themselves to-
gether to obtain justice and bring the
state officials to a realization of the in
jury they are doing the public in their
''people be Id policy"
Don't criticize your neighbor; set an
example.
Honesty is the excuse of many man
for his poverty.
Fortunes smiles on some people and
laughs at many.
An otherwise truthful man some
times talks about himself.
w. l.. Wilson has discharged his De
troit attorneys and engaged +. b. Brown
of Port Huron. Mr.. Brown is endeav-
oring to secure Joseph Walsh to assist