The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-08-17

over the same railroad, and in the
same direction, while the mileage
charge for transportation is the same.
This is contrary TO both the spirit j
and the letter Of the law, and the in L
evitable result would be to advance
the cost of transportation to the Mis-
sissippi producer. 1t is weltsettled
principle in rate-maHng that a reduc-
ton to any one market without com
mensurate reductions to competing
markets. inures to the benefit Of the
buyers and does not advance the value
of a commodity to the producer
Mr.. Lee has been in office as rail /
road commissioner about eighteen
months and perhaps this interval has
been too brief to permit him to ac-
quire knowledge of the fact that all
rates that affect the value of cotton
in Mississippi are through or inter-
state rates. If Mr.. Lee sincerely be-
lieves that these interstate rates are
/ too high, and has evidence to back up
his belief, he should bring the matter
to the attention of the interstate com
merce commission, which has exclu-
sive jurisdiction in such matters. He
should inform that body specifically
| as to what rates need revision and
what a proper reduction would be
| This is the course prescribed by the
Federal laws governing carriers, and
| Mr.. Lee cannot change an act of
congress with a mere order from the
commission of which he happens to
be a member. Any shallow subter-
fuge, such as is revealed in his pro-
posed revision plan would be prompt
ly overturned by the courts, and we
may safely assume that the railroads
would lose no time in carrying it to
the court for settlement. 1t is not only
obnoxious, strictly from the legal
viewpoint, but it is contrary to good
business methods.
hC pan CURTAINS SGNtIdl OIltj
fatal defects that are sufficient to
condemn it. For instance, a blanker
plan of rates-that is. making the
same rates applicable to all roads-is
palpably unjust. The Illinois Centarl
and allied lines form a great trunk
system operating nearly two thousand
miles of railway in this state. The
Mississippi Eastern is a dinkey line
less than thirty miles in length and
necessarily more expensive to operate
in proportion to mileage Would it be
fair to make the same rate applicable
to these two roads?
As stated at the beginning, we
believe that Mr.. Lee is honest in his
intentions. 1t is simply a case of be-
ing badly mistaken. Only a few
months aSo We had occasion to com
mend his good horse sense for de
clining to approve Mr.. SCOTS plan to
about a two-cent mileage law in this
state. 1t is now Mr.. SCOTS turn to
state. 1t is no VAR. SCOTS turn to
display Il similar quality of Judgement
by respecting the absurd cotton rate re
vision plan of his colleague, and
should he fail to do so the courts WIN
certainly do it. incidentally, we do
not care for any long, expensive and
fruitless litigation with the railroads.
1t costs money to carry appeals to the
United States Supreme Court, and to
carry trivial cases to that tribunal is
nothing more or less than extrava-
gance.
incidentally the Daily News believes
that the Mississippi legislature owes
it as a duty to the business interest
to enact law creating the office of
rate clerk for the railroad commits
sion. and allowing a compensation to
get a first-class man for the place
This policy of Smelling the woods in
the dark is exceedingly dangerous.
and we are getting entirely too much
of it.