Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-06-24
NIT. RIPLEY AND THE PUBLIC.

-tt'hf tttt h4Nb III ~ btAIts
Since the passage Of the railroad
bin which President Ripley Of the
Santa Fe ebaractcrizes ~ N terror. ="
that always pcssmistic gentleman
has fallen into n Slough Of Deapond
from which are heard arising pro-
phesice OF calamity that make James
J I'm appear as q rose0te apostle or
the sunlight
The president Of the gantn Re, en-
sbronded Ia his grief, and railing al
eoecrnment supervision, should re-
member that the public sentiment for
regulation Of the common carriers
- largely the outgrowth of Just such
disregard Of the rights OF the public
az manifested IN this city this wock,
~ trying 70 block an important pub.
lie enterprise here. This Is Just one
little concrete something
that Mr. Ripley would not hold worth
q seconds consideration--sho how
q railroad corporation industriousiy
lnhors 10 create public sentiment
nralnst Itself The underhanded per-
formance IN blocking TiJoras crossing
nndcr cover Of darkness IL only a
trific perhaps. but one of those trlflcs
which, when sufficiently multiplied, |
build up m adverse sentiment al !
plong the line Mr. Ripley has no |
"holier" coming. The celebrated
Tweed policy Of What arc you going |
10 do about IT," is its own reward |
The San Francisco eau sizes up the
grief stricken head Of the Santa Fe
as follows
President Ripley Of the Santa re
~ nn unhappy man. rhe trouble up
pears 20 be constitutional. The right
to manaRe his own business has been
taken away from Mr. Ripley. and he
VIII MOI be consoleu. Sir. Taft has
offended him mortnlly by putting
him IN position where ne was com-
PEELED to admit the right Of govern
lnnnt 10 regulate railroad rates. Mr..
Ripley is persuaded that he has an
inaiicnablo right 60 fix rates at any
figure that seems good to him. IT,.
respective OF reason or justice to the
people who mae the railroads In a
word. Mr. Ripley is belntcd survival
NJ the type of fine. old fashioned mon
opollAt whose gospel Was expressed
IN the saylng The public be d-~--d.
J own the railroad
I'm evidence OF his dlsplcasnre Mr..
Ripley has ordered all work Of CON
sirnctlon ana bcttcrment stopped on
the Santa ifc system wherever this is
possible. II II not very clear whom
Mr. Ripley proposes to punish hy this n
Of economy but II seems like
" that his own stockholders VIII prove
Tho worst sufferers. hut that is "a I,
matter which must be left to Mr.. |,
Itipley'a sober second thought.
Lot us inquire for q moment into !
the nature Of the injury that has NOR. /,
tally offended the president NJ the
santa Fo. In brief Mr. Taft has nut l.
him and the other railroad magnates !,
IN position whore he IS compelled +,
to acknowledge That the public has y
rights as Well as the railroads The >,
most important OF these rights Is that D.
railroad rates shall he reasonable In n,
The judgment of an impartial trlbunnl. q
Mr. Ripley likes to believe that he is =,
lhe only man Who has anything worth /,
while 70 say about the rates for SER :
Vice on ihe Santa Fc lie is deeply H.
grievcd because Mr. TAFT has made :
him admit that no such rights exist. n
AIR Riploys position is defonsihie ii
'nly on the assumption that the inter
'gates commerce commission cannot be
rastcd To- do Justice as between IA. p,
hippem and the railroads Mr.. rim a
es ~ almost alone Ia holding to that ~
assumption and IS constituuonaly re- .
entfui OF any sort OF government in o.
erferencc or supervision over his busi- h
less The president OF the santa Fe. =,
n fine, belongs 10 the last century
-he Santa Fe people may rest assured =,
hat " the contemplated Increase in J.,
rolght rates Is Just and reasonable G.,
viii be allowed hy tho Interstate
commission, and the sooner Mr.. Rlpley ;,
cts out Of his head tho notion that he o.,
as the exclusive right 90 manage his In
wn business the better 81 viii De for
b. own comfort. No such right exists
the conduct Of public service oorpor-
iions