The sun., 1910-06-13
viii the Railroads Get Justice From
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The cost of the Interstate Commerce
Commission 10 the people oi the Unite,
States has increased from t9s,0O in ISs
10 SoSa.OOo in 1919. II is not now fully
equipped to perform all Of the duties
imposed upon It by the laws now in ef
feet. Il has been estimated in the Ofiic'
Of the commission that a staif Of inspec.
tors adequate 10 examine the accounts oI
al the railroads once each wear would
entail the employment n 1 .SO additiona
men an, an added expense Of sS,OOO, ,OOO
Thebin now in conference when enacted
wilI-necessitate a large increase in the
number of employees. II increasing
duties are imposed upon the commits
aion, II II should be allowed to expand
under various proposals for inspection
Of this and that procedure Of the rail
roads, TO make physical valuation. and
do this. that and the other thing. il re-
quires no stretch Of the imagination To
foresee a time when the burden borne
by the people Of the United States for
the regulation Of transportation by the
Federal and the State commissions will
equal that for the maintenance II the
army or the navy: and this will he in
addition 20 the charge Of the railroads
for transportation.
Although under the new law the rail
roads are required 70 prove the reason
ableness Of their rates instead of the
shippers being required 10 prove their
unreasonableness. this ncw law will
Ghift in large measure the burden that
has been borne bv the railroads upon the
commission. That body has had occa-
Gion 70 learn how dihicul, il is. how very
nearly II not quite impossible il is. TO
adjus, rates 70 the mutual satisfaction of
rival communities each Of which desires
70 get the better Of its competitors
Many Of those who argued in Congress
for changes in rates for the benefit of
their immediate constituents gave little
consideration to the revenue of the rail-
roads. The commission in the full per-
Torrance Of its duty il bound 20 protect
the railroads az well a. the shippers.
Has il a. all times done This IN 'he
past That the decisions oi the COM
mission hsve been fair in the great ma
iority Of the cases that have come be-
fore IL, especially in such cases A. arise
from disagreements between railroads
and shippers in the ordinary course Of
business, s questioned by no one. In
cases where the pressure II grea, COM
munities is brought "a hear IL Is but
natural that 's DECISIONS have not been
received with unanimous approval
The chairman ~ the commission IN ar
b.tration under the Erdman law has
repeatedly aN arded advances in wages
n employees When the railroads two
year. ago sought 70 restore equilibrium
BY advances in rates IL u reported that
a letter was received bv the commission
from the President ~ tho nited States
in which il was minated that II would
he ineKpefient 70 allow the railroads 10
advance their rates on the eve of Prp.i-
dental campaign That such a letter
should be written by = President of the
United States and that il should receive
consideration in the ofiica n the Inter-
state Commerce Commission is prepos-
ferrous; yet il must h. rehected that
the members of the commission are an
pointed by the President
A. "A later time when the railroads
NMAAA HAaaltk W A'AN 8il'F luNtHH the hnlIl= ]
pers Of the country protested that
freight rates ought not n be increased /
in a period of general depression:
the railroads needed the protest and
withdrew the advances. After two
years Of advancing wages and increas-
ing cost of supplies in which the rail- |
roads have been obliged 20 stint expen-
ditures for the upkeep Of their plant and |
equipment and 20 resort % that economy /
which wears away bone and sinew. they
have again sought 10 increase their
rates because in the face Of increasing
trafic in a time of great prosperity their
net earnings are falling on. The sub '
mission Of these advances 70 the Inter.
state Commerce Commission will be a
formidable test. fits decision is favor
able 70 the railroads it Is bound 70 incur
9arEe measure Of popular diaapprov,l
u tis decision is antagonistio 70 the nl.