The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-03-18
MR. ard
IS DIRECTING
TO MORE LAWS
On the Matter Of Regulating
the. Railroads Of the
Country.
ROADS TO BE Coon
If Let Alone as They Have
Given Up Their Sin
full Ways.

BALTIMORE. md, Mar. l8-Mr.
Daniel Willard, president OF the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, in his
speech at the banquet Of The Cham
Der of Commerce traced she history
cf the baltimore a1d Ohio railroad,
and continued:
ut is my desire to cooperate In
every possible and proper NAY in the
Guiding up OF the business Of this
port and a better and greater Bal
tSnore. There is much that the
railroad can do toward accomplish
ing that end, but 1t remains largely
with the business men Of baltimore
to see that the natural advantages
which Baltimore enjoys IS a center
Of trade and commerce are made the
most of. The Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company speaking through
It's chief executive, promises its
active cooperation in the develop
ment of the undoubted and we'll
recognized resources of Baltimore
as a manufacturing center and gate.
way for foreign and domestic com
merce.
Il would like now with you per-
mission to refer briefly to another
matter-the situation of the rail-
road today. First OF all, j want to
say that, while admitting all that is
bad or censurable about the rail-
road, 4 am not en- apoioglst for
them. So far as my active life has
been spent in the, railroa service /
do not regret. My friend, Commits
sioner Prouty, truly said in his re-
marks at Yale some two years ago
that there was no more promising or
use-ul career for young man than
was offered in the service OF the
great transportation lines.
Rate, and Wages.
I'VE hear much at times about the
sins OF the railroads, thut;'in spite OF
all that is said, it is still fact that
the RAILROADS in, this country have a
lover capitalization per mile than in
any other country in the world,
and at the same time our rates are
the lowest and the rates paid rail-
road employees here are the highest.
That the railroads have sinned in
the past goes without saying. Pos
set3.y the same may oe said OF all
other corporations and individuals.
Regulation by Law.
Because Of such slns-real or
imaginary-the so-called railway
question became acute in 1887, suf-
ficieatly so, in fact, to bring about
the passage of the tirst interstate
commerce lew. That law has now
been in effect about twenty-four
years and has been amended and
supplemented from time TO time.
1T is not too much to say that,
as the law now stands. we have in
in this country Sufficient instru-
mentalities for the thorough and eff
fective control of the railroads by
the federal government, the last
change il the law having clothed
the commission-formed for the
purpose of seeing to its execution
with full power to control the rates
which the carrier shall DE permitted
to charge. All this is a matter OF
accomplishment. Il am not speaking
now to criticism fact, have no
desire to criticise-out am SIMPLY
stating the facts as find them.
When the interstate commerce
law was first passed., it was claimed
that the railroads charged different
rates to different individuals for
performing the same service; that
they gave free transportation to
some and not to others; that they
exercised a pernicious dnhuence over
legislation in some of the states,
and, in short, did not treat all alike
as they were required to do under
the common law.
Il think it can truthfully be said
that all OF these things have now
been corrected, or at least the ma
chinery for the correction has been
provided.
Jumping On Ono Who is Down.
Now. having done this, do You
not think that the carriers should in
fairness be given a little more coli
.siderati0n than has been shown
them during the last few years?
The railroads have accepted the sit