The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-26

congress to enact a mandatory law
making 1T the duty of the interstate
commerce commission to make
most searching investigation into the
actual physical valuation of all the
railroad lines in the United States.
My objections to this are that is
too large an order at one time. In
the end we will unquestionably have
to have the valuation of all the rail-
roads, and if the recommendation had
been that such valuation should be
secured as soon as practicable, would
have supported it. But my position
is that We were gathered together to
consider only the proposed advances
in rates on certain classes and COM
moditieS east of the Mississippi river.
and upon but very few west of the
Mississippi to the Missouri; and that
therefore our remedy should have
been directed to the disease and not
to suppositional conditions which
might exist later on at points west of
the Missouri river.
Furthermore, it is not at all GER
tain that there might not in equity need
to be some increases in some of the
rates east of the Mississippi river. For,
is it not as reasonable to suppose that
the rate to Kansas City from the east
is a trif1e too low as it is to suppose
that the rate from Kansas City to the
west is about two and one-half times
too high?
Competition.
In the east some years ago there
was competition of the most grinding
sort. In the west there was little COM
petition. AS a. result there was under
rating in the east, due to this compe-
tition, and over-rating in the west, due
to the lack of it. The railroads made
the west stand the burden of loss in
the east.
And the rates established at that
time have stayed. That is the reason
why, for example, the rate on paper
for 800 miles from Wisconsin points
pounds, and why on the same com
modify for an additional haul of 225
miles from Kansas City to Wichita it
is % cents per 100 pounds.
In other words, is it not sane and
sensible to suppose that there ought to
be revision upward where former cut
throat competition got rates too low,
and a revision downward where by rea-
son of lack of competition the rates
have remained too high.
Briefly, how can people of the west
hope to get what they are entitled to-
unless the traffic which moves up to
the Missouri bears it's correct proper
ton of transportation charges.
After giving the matter careful con-
sideration it would seem that we have
reached the point in history of rate
making where we must throw off legal
technicalities and forms and get down
to an exercise of common sense.
Proposes Arbitration.
And to that end I would propose a
board of rate arbitration, to be COM
posed of three railroad traffic men,
three shippers, and three members of
the Interstate commerce commission,
these to dispose of the rate docket,
raising rates on certain commodities
when they are too low, and lowering
them when they are too high.
Thus would be done away long
drawn and vexatious legal fights
coming directly to the ques-
lions which must be taken into con-
sideration in the final adjustment of
any rate, namely-the comparison with
rates on similar commodities in other
localities, and with commodities of
the same weight, bulk and value, in
the same locality, considering also risk
of damage, and all other features re-
garding each commodity in the move
ment of traffic.
'I do not know that this could be
done imme diately. Certainly it can
not be done if traffic meetings con-
tinue to endorse a law that, so long
as it exists, positively prevents the
creation of such a commission, as does
the present antitrust law. But I am
certain that such an arrangement
would result in unlimited good