Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-06-13
scores Railroads Act.

In some respects the controversy be-
tween the railways and the Nation and
State is northumberland in my view II
Is quite as unnecessary as unfortunate. IL
has grown up out of q eeming miSc0n-
ception of the relation and obligation of
railway officials to the State. A director
of q railroad Is. in a sense. as much an
Official of the State as the Governor-cer-
tainly as any statutory official. The di-
rectors are managing a work that the
State itself might operate, but which 1t
makes them its agents to direct, and In
so far as that work is public, and 1t Is
all public except its financial obligation to
its stockholders. they are performing a
public duty as much as any state offlcer.
II this principle, which Is the true rela-
ton of q railroad company to the State.
were only realized and acted upon by
railway officials. the controversies con
stantly arising between the. people. state
end.
II this fact had always been recognized
there would never have been any need for
interstate commissions or State
public utilities boards. The controversy now
going on over interstate freight rates at
Washington and here In New Jersay over
passenger rates, with meetings like this.
will prove of the greatest value: The peo-
ple have failed to take the interest, in
legislation, in Nation and State, that they
should In relation to commissions for rate
regulation and for general State control
over the mower of railroads to make rates.
For three years I have been urging legis-
l1TlOn 10 HPpI 1NiSI Sufn tOfi'ltioio az
You are exercised about tonight and It
seemed to me that you cared little about
It. or. IL you did, YOU failed to show
otherwise. You let some men go to the
heed to the Governors recommendations,
Yet, you reelected them. The thing. for
you TO do is to defeat every mar about
whose loyalty to the people you have the
least doubt. What you need Is men In the
Legislature who are heartily in sympathy
with public sentiment on this question
\ and who will zealously work for 1t and
not listen to the voice of the tempter.
Fort sIaps Politicians.
Men who are not for the people get a
party nomination and every one knows
the machine which selects them, that they
are sure to follow the corporation trail; 1t
takes some such action as that. lately taken
by the railroads to awaken the people to
a realizing sense of the true situation. If
you had shown half the interest In this
matter last fall that You now show. you
could have had in New Jersey a law which
would have prevented any change of rates
without first securing the approval of a
public utilities commission. Will you.
therefore. please pardon me, If, as your
neighbor and friend, I now tell you that
you are largely to blame for what you are
now getting; owing to your past indiffer-
ence.
DO you doubt for a moment that the
Legislature would have passed a public
utilities bill with the power 70 protect you,
as the Governor of your State has time
and again recommended, If you had held
| meetings like this throughout the State de-
handing that they should? 1t is a pleasure
to me TO know that you have been at last
| awakened to the real situation. If I may
be pardoned further, / also take some de-
light In the fact that ! have warned you
OF the possibility of just such a condi-
tion arising as this. but you have preferred
to let your representatives m~isrepresent
cause the corporate Interests did not wish
it.
The remedy for the situation lies in
your sending to the Legislature men who
| do II nominated and elected. DO not trust
q. man who will not publicly pledge himself
on a great issue like this. He Is against
you and will vote against you at Trenton.
He will be, If elected, the creature of the