The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-04-08
NEED NOT FEAR THE PEOPLE.

NEED NOT FEAR THE PEOPLE.
A sensible view of railroad legisla.
ton is taken by w. r. Begg, general
solicitor of the Great Northern, who
expresses the opinion that the people
deserve only a square deal for all
parties concerned. In q recent inter.
view. Mr.. Begg says in part:
1--WE should not be dismayed at the
mass Of legislation aimed at railroads.
Generally speaking. the railroads
have nothing to fear from the people.
First, because most men intend to be
fair. and to respect the private prop.
erty in railroads and to allow q
proper return upon the values of these
properties. In the second place, the
peoples own interest demands fair
treatment of railroads. These great
highways of commerce are as impor-
tant for the prosperity of the country
and for the interchange Of products Of
farms and factories as are the circu.
lating medium and the banks.
"Faulty railroad lave, which i'm.
pair the security of the investment,
must in the end cripple the service,
impair the usefulness of these high.
ways, impede the interchange of com.
modities, destroy confidence and thus
injure the people in the same manner
QnA m "a rpoot on nvtn~t nc f,1t,,
financial legislation would injure
them. The railroad cannot suffer
alone. If any of the regulations now
imposed by the law prove &c be I'm.
wise and work real injury to the rail.
roads, the action Of the economic
forces will bring about q modihc alton
or repeal of these regulations. The
faults of railroad Legislation will be
discovered as readily as the faults of
legislation for other business enter.
prises.
"The hostility Of the public toward
railroads. If it exists, is largely due
to misunderstanding. The people do
not realize the immense amount of
money necess arily expended in Great
ing and perfecting these highways so
as to make them suitable for the eff.
cient handling of the great volume Of
traffic moving over them during the
past few years, nor the amount which
still must be expended to increase
their efficiency in order to handle the
increasing traffic resulting from the
country's growth. They do not APP.
preciate that the Owner of railways
receive "A lower return On the value of
their property than do those engaged
in other lines of business. They do
not understand that the delay in the
movement of freight aud inability to
secure cars as promptly as desired
has been due to the fact that the ia.
c~ilities of the railroads have been
taxed beyond their capacity and that
even if car had been furnished they
could not have been moved.
IA great majority of the people
have been too much engrossed in their
own aft airs and the upbuilding of their
own enterprises to examine into these
matters. Investigations now in pro-
gress by state commissioners for the
purpose of determining the value Of
railroads and for other purposes, the
Investigations of the interstate COM
merce commission and the reports re.
quired by the commissioners of the
carriers will do much 20 educate the
public and to remove erroneous i'm.
pressiOns which have been spread
abroad by persons having little knowl'
edge of the facts and biased by some
personal interests. The fact that the
books of carriers are nOw open to the
inspection of the interstate commerce
commission is a guarantee that nc
questionable practices can in the flu
ture be INDUCED in. The people are
not hostile to conditions which really
exist. They are hostile to supposed
conditions which they have been lee
to believe exist. 1t is for the members
of business organize atoms and for thu
railroads to set the people right ant
to clear up Observation-Disclosures