The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-06
The Making OF Railroad Law.

, Commission. This simply legallIe- what
! the railroads are now and of necessity
have been doing The entire freight
/ rate - rIctur. of the ntsd States with
rs ClassitiCailOns. dIfferentials. percent
ages. basIng points and common points
depends upon agreements of On" kind
or another that have rs-SIl'e-d from rate
wars the pressure of shippers and 'pm-
munltleS. legislative enactment. or vol
untarv action of the railroads Whom
there - a rate read justmcut ~ any one
OF these structures there must at ne'e--
Sitv bs agreement between connect ma,
I lines AMI competing lines. oth"rwi~r
there would he chaos The tariffs that
are continuously filed with the COM
Of such agreements
II - PROPOSED 10 give the lnterS' ~"
Commerce Comm ,S-ron power - ,.~fab-
l~h through routes and joint rates and
- determine how these through rates
shall be divided between the lines con
stiru,lnG a through route Herein -
another evidan"r 81 the ua'srnali-'lc
tendency If legislation. The railroads
81 'hr~ country are owned bv corTnra-
3 lions which presumably hsv" the righr
- conduct their AFFAIR." IN their re-par-
tive corporate interests under their obi
CATION - common 'irriers. Does this
mean thar ~. Interstate Commerce
COMMISSION = - b. empowered 20 IT.
rect TRANSPORTATION over ths--.. railroai
lines A. though they were not separately
pwnsSi 'ha' ~ NAV force one railroad
- establish through route ~ ~ own
laS.. - pll"p - facilities a. Inc disposal
of a rival line Ia ~ own detrIment
Not one 81 the great railroad svs-
TENS of the Inrret States has arisen
from preoonceived. definite design
Every one Of them has grown bv the
amalgamation Il dozens Of small COM
psnlsS whose lines have Connected and
have often competed Whether u Is
now considered that there - but one or
thar there are two railroad =vsTsm-
m \aw England. II must ha horne NJ
mimi that either of the-s - composed
II what were once diverse and often
competing line The main trunks 90
the Pennsylvania system west - PI't--
burg wsr. once competing and are IN
great measure practically parallel lines
The map II auv 81 the great Western
-v-'em- shows that ~ - a network II
line-. many - which traverse different
routes between the same tPrminl Thar
,-7on0mv IA operation and - manage
ment - promoted bv combination j.
lndlsputable What - the difference
between allowing competing lines 20
agree a. To rates and allowing these
composing lines "a be- combined under
corporate ownership a. long a. thetr
rates are subject 10 the approval "
the commission
The tendency ~ this legislation would
seem 20 be 20 authorize the Interstate
Commerce Commission - direct the Use
81 the railroads ~ though they we're
parts 81 the same system. but Vet -
deprive the stockholders 81 the bon
eii' 81 cOmblnei administration. The
freight cars ~ every railroad are u-ei
almost unfortunately IN tho lines 81
every other railroad An Inrrca-a "a
uniformity 80 method and ~ PRACTICE
would sNern ~ point toward IN" cnal"--
cence ~ the different lines ~ NJ loa-r
the same traffic region a. q logical ard
economically sound tendency. A. what
time in the past would II have been
for the public good for the Government
10 'hwart rhiS tendency, Why - the
a'temp, - he made at the present
when 20 the Interstate Commerce Com
mission - being given almost absolute
authority over every rate and every
practice connected with the movement
81 traffic'
The truth il that tho Government -
bringing about a unifca'iOn Of hnc-
under the direction 81 the Interstate
Commerce Commission. which ~ not
responsible for p~Cuniarv result. and ~
the same time DENYING that corporate
unifcation which would seem Justly 10
he the inevitable corollary.
The performance n the addNd and
diverse functions which will davolve
upon the Interstate Commerce Commls-
SION Il tho legislation now proposed ~
enacted Ne " seems likely u will 10. will
~ ne"e~-Itv hiring about y considerable
ncrea-@ m he ~taT II that organiza-
tion. Their adequate performance will
compel m" employment Il a number
II men # ability and csVacitv whose
services cannot be- secured for anv such
compensation ~ j. oher'd by the sala-
mes ~ present paid nv the commission.
That The "ommi@=ion has been unable
70 Obtain examiners and inspectors Il
,uficient capacity in sufficient numbers
~ discharge all the duties imposed bv
tho Hepburn hill IL well known. How
and whore ~ will obtain the force and
ability necessary 20 make II tho guild
ing star in all matters commercial and
financial remains 70 be seen. Il can
obtain employees. Thsre h no end
Of POLITICIANS and Othsrs Who are con
.iiniAAllx aaakinR GnEnr1uaane hnEnhm,
. u .I..