The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-02
RESTRAINING THE RAILROADS

Tho action taken by tho Federal au
thoritics on Tuesday in restraining by
court process the Western railroad!
from the raise in prices that they hao
announced is the most important Fed
cral assertion OF jurisdiction ever made
by the National Government over in
terstate commerce, Twenty-Five West
eru railroads were cnJoined from put
ting into effect on June Ist the in,
creased schedules on freights that had
been announced by those roads as go
ing into effect on that day. The allie
CATION is unlawful combination and
conspiracy. The combination would
seem to be fairly evident on the face of
| ii. for it is not Ia be supposed that
twenty-five railroad companies. acting
independently, without collusion or
agreement among themselves. could all
hit coincidentally upon uniform raise
like this, all in perfect accord in every
dctall and going into effect at precise.
ly the same date. Undoubtedly this
determination to increase rates was by
collusion and agreement. Whether it is
unlawful combination and conspiracy
in violation of the law is precisely what
the courts will have to determine in
the hearing OF the case Prima facie
it looks very much like it, but often
those things which seem prima facie
clear arc impossible of establishment
in the courts.
1t seems certain that the railroad
rates arc already rather too high than
too low. The people generally are look
ing and hoping for Il reduction, not an
increase. And yet the increase is pre-
cisely what the railroads apply in re-
versal OF this popular hope and expec-
taJion, But there IS something to say
also on the railroad side of this ques-
tion. Mr.. B. f. Yoakum, who is both
a farmer and railroad president. told
the National Convention of the Farm
ers' Educational Union 1--WE quote from
Hsrper's Weekly the other day that
the reductions in railroad rates made
since 1898 by State and Federal COM
missions and legislation had restricted
the receipts of the railroads $2I0.000,-
600 year. He put the question to the
farmers there and then assembled if
they had got any of that money; if
they had to buy was cheaper
than it was before. He took the posi-.
ton that they had not been helped in
,he least in either direction by that
restriction on the railroads; that the
money cut of from the railroad receipts
had all gone to the dealers, and the
burden on the public and consumer was
Just as great as before; but that if the
had had it they could have
used III in new construction and inn
of train service vastly to the
benefit of the public. The question that
would occur right here is, would the rail
roads have so used the money, or would
they have absorbed it by increasing the
pay to officials and otherwise spent it
10 no public advantage7 Continuing,
Mr.. Yoakum said:
The thing the railroad and the con-
sumer are Jointly interested in is the fact
that under present political methods of
doing business the railroad stands the
loss OF its revenue and the consumer
does not get il. Recent legislation has
been In the interest of the comparatively |
few Of the country's population who live |
on the profits between the producer and |
The consumer. and all they get through
freight reductions Is that much added to
their profits.
! believe in railroad legislation. am
opposed to excessive capitalization. / am
opposed also TO legislation that places
future construction in the hands OF ex-
sting companies. which will be against
he best welfare OF our AGRICULTURAL |
interests. handicap every farmer who has
not convenient transportation facilities.
and continue idle the many million acres |
of good land remote from railroads.
All of which seems sound and
but the whole matter depends
IN the good faith and beneficial man
igement by those in control of the
II is because the public has
,ome to disbelieve in the good faith |
If railroad management so far as the
and shippers advantage is
that the great outery is
made. But there is not the least doubt |
II our mind that Mr.. Yoakum is sound |
where be says that the dealers are so
lllied that they are able to absorb to
themselves any moneys that it would |
seem ought TO go to the relief of the |
consumer. That is exactly what the
lealers' combines do all over the couu,
,ry. And yet the railroads do not ap,
pear to be suffering either, because all
IF them are reporting increased earn |
ngs and prosperity never enjoyed |
before; so that on this latter ground |
alone the interference of the Govern.
nent to prevent raise in rates would |