The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-04
SHOULD FOLLOW
 WISCONSIN, LEAD Say State Railroad Commits
 sion Is a Model HOW TT w K E D Ultra Progressives Thought Trusts Would Be Handled Roughly.
 LaFollette's Champions Urg-
 ing Similar Federal Law
HOW TT WORK E D
py RoDERIcK CLIFFORD

l of railroad commission operative in
 Wisconsin. When in 1905, say the pros gressives the railroad commission bill came up in the Wisconsin legislature, the men behind the big interests pre- dicted that capital would forsake tue state, should the bill become a law. They now point to the present con- ditions and say that the railroad bus mess has never before been so four ishing.
 The progressives contend that the experiment in Wisconsin has proved so successful that the entire country could do no better than to adopt a similar method of regulating the con- trol of big industries.
 When the railroad commission will become a law in Wisconsin some of the ultra progressives of the fire eat ing type expected the state to "go af- ter" the corporations with a vengeance. and were somewhat disappointed at the conservative matter in which the new commission proceeded; for instead or making a clean sweep throughout the state resulting in a wholesale reduc-
  were treated with conspicuous fairness and in many cases the rates of certain companies were increased rather than reduced. On the whole, however, rates were reduced and conditions generally bettered and with it all capital has nos deserted the state, but is operating there to the best advantage of all.
 Witness the fact that during the first five years of the existence of the railroad commission shippers have been benefited by a freight rate reduction averaging about $1,200,000 year. A similar reduction in passenger rates amounts to about SS00,000 year. In addition to this advantage to the ship pers, and, therefore, to the state, the net earnings of the railroads have in- creased relatively little more than the earning of all railways in the Unit ed States. The commission demanded better service of the railroads which had to be granted, but the business of the several lines increased almost be- yond belief.
 Now the progressives are singing song to the effect that what can be done in Wisconsin can be done elsewhere. They claim that the success of the com mission in the Badger state has been .lne to the fact that instead of making
 al effort to smash the railroad trust there, the commission has shared the protection 1t holds out to the shippers with the corporations operating the lines, great benefit being derived with the min mum of hard feeling.
 The reason for all this reform, say the progressives, is that the commission has merely operated in way to throw the railroads out of politics bodily, but keep them intact for the benefit of the shippers and the promotion of business on sound and substantial basis
 A significant fact is that as soon as the bill providing for the railroad com mission was passed in Washington, Gov ornor LaFolette resigned his guberna- torial chair and took a seat in the United States Senate, and the Inference is clear to the progressives that 1t is his inten- ton to introduce bill In Congress short iy creating a commission similar to that in Washington to exercise Jurisdiction over the entire nation. Should such a blll become law, the progressives believe industrial conditions throughout the United States would be materially ben ehted
 Nor would the regulation stop at the railroads. Other great public utilities could be brought into line, according 10 the plan of the progressives. The steamship lines, the telephone and tele- graph companies, milling and manufac- turing interests and all other industries N hch depend upon the people and upon which the people depend will be subjected to this universal supervision, according to the progressive's plan. While the charge of socialism is made against this policy by many. it's sup | porters say that whether it is or not, the | plan has worked successfully in Wiscon- sin and they believe. that the remainder o1 the country should get the benefit of 1.-the idea.
 | By placing water power under the same 1 jurisdiction. it is contended that conserva- I tion of natural resources would result in | a more practical way than by other egis- | lation, by reason of the fact that instead of being held in reserve. simply to pre-
 vent the big interests from deriving an | illegal benefit that power would be util- | ized in such a manner that prosperity would accrue to a large number.
 Another fight the progressives are nnak- | ing is that for the regulation of labor. Here again they point to Wisconsin as a | criterion. Progressive labor laws first
 came into force in Wisconsin in 1903, and | d
 ticaly abolished, while excessive hours of l employment of women laborers have been done away with. A workman's compen- | sation law has been enacted and an in-
 surance law passed similar to the German | law the good influence of which on labor throughout the land Is commonly conced-
 ed. To regulate labor and labor condi- l tions, aD industrial commission similar to the railroad eommission has been in l augurated. This commission employs ex- lrerts to cooperate with the laborers in de- yising ways and means of salty and sani- tation and many improvements in condi- tions may be noted.
 The commission idea is extremely nop- ular with the progressyes, and upon that they intend to base their appeal to the people in the 1912 election. They believe that they have discovered the solution tt the great problem of the predatory inter ests and that the peoples relief can only be brought about by the universal regula- ton by commissions either elected by tine | people of appointed by executives of state or nation. Whether or not their conten- ton Is logical may be tried out during the
 next few years if their appeal is needed by the people.
 | REWARD