The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-24

| n dinner of herbs where love is, than
stalled OK and hatred Herewith"
Just the same, "Niarse Henry wo
| would like to know what you 'uns"
talked about and how far you got.
| - -----==--==-=-----------
RATE REGULATION OUT OF COURT.
| Railroad men are much encouraged
| by reports which came from Chicago
| yesterday. Representatives of the
companies, which recently withdrew
| their new rates by agreement with Mr.
| Taft. have been in consultation with
| Western shippers and are nearing an
| agreement. The Chicago packers. who
were loudest in their protests against
| the proposed rates, are listening to
reason and have already admitted that
some of the increases asked by the
railroads are altogether just. Further
| differences will be adjusted to-day,
and a compromise will be effected very
shortly on all the contested tariffs.
The railroads are hoping that other
shippers will .accede TO the new COM
Pr UTILISE tHu lllelI elllS ueCldle IL
not unlikely that all the shippers will
agree to new rates during the next
few days.
1t is pointed out that this compro-
railroads and will remedy, in a meas
ure at least, the evils which will
otherwise result from the new rail-
road bill. The latter, it will be recol
lected, vests the Interstate Commerce
Commission with power TO suspend
rates for ten months. pending any in
vestigation of their justice. AS we
pointed out at the time, this
would be enough to drive
many railroads into bankruptcy,
and is enough to condemn the
railroad bill eternally, IL it be en-
forced to the letter. If, however, ship
pers will agree not to protest against
the compromise rates offered by the
railroads, the Interstate Commerce
Commission can investigate the rates
very quickly, If, indeed, it will care to
investigate them at all. The result
will be the speedy enforcement of new
rates, which will be Just to all per-
sons concerned.
In view of this solution OF the prob
plem, the question very naturally
arises. why the increases were not
made in the same way. by compromise.
when they were first proposed What
was the use of nlenacing the value Of
all railroad securities, or conferences
with the President, of suits in Mis-
and all the other artillery of the re-
cent war on the railroads? Why could
not the country have trusted the rail-
roads then as now, and why could not
the shippers have listened as willingly
to compromise last month as they lis
tened last Wednesday?
The answer very probably is that
the people, for once, have been willing
to see the other side of the question
They have had the truth forced
upon them that what is sauce for
the goose is sauce for the gander, and
/ that IL they increase the price of their
| products, they can but expect the rail-
! roads, who use these products, to do
the same thing.
The incident at least carries its
moral and points the way to future
solution of the rate problem. If there
is such thing as rate regulation out
of court to-day, there should be such
thing tomorrow, and if traffic
agreement can be reached which will
be effective in this instance, the same
method should suffice to reach an
agreement in other cases.
The whole problem OF rate regula-
ton is battling one, and none of
the laws yet devised, either by Con-
gress or by any of the States. does ius-
tice to railroad and shipper alike. In
tact. judging from all previous eAper-
iments in this country, it seems al
most safe to conclude that Gov
eminent rate regulation is a failure,
Compromise out of court and
sane agreement between the interest
ed parties is about the only way 10
get justice. 1t is very seldom that a
corporation vii! not listen to reason
and it is still more seldom that
company will not compromise rather
than trust to the mercies OF trial
court. When shippers realize this and
settle their differences by common
sense, rather than by injunotions, they
may expect just rates and fair treat
ment.
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UNDER THE MOONLIGHT AND THE