The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-09-15
REGULATION Of RAILWAYS
Is Right and Duty of the States.
Maintains Governor Hadley of
Connecticut

Spring Lake, y. ]. Sept. 1.-THE
main addresses made yesterday before
the conference of governors were those
of Governor Aldrich of Nebraska. Gov
ernor Hadley's speech dealt with the
question of the rights Of the states
TO deal with the railroad rates prob
lem. He said:
The question as TO the right to
regulate within their limits the rates
Of sportation of railroad compa-
MES engaged in interstate commerce,
which Is now pending before the su-
preme court Of the United States for
decision is, in my opinion, one of the
most important. if not the most i'm
portant question with which that
court has had to deal in recent years
For the question Of transportation is
the most important question Of com
merce and, in fact, Of civilization it
self
The success or failure of all ef-
forts for gain depends upon the car
ryrng of that which is produced by hu-
man labor from the place where ii is
OF little or value TO a place where
it is of a value sufficient to compen-
safe for the cost of its production.
Approximately one-third of the cost of
everything we buy represents the eX-
pense of transportation. and this ques-
tion. enters as a controlling influence
into the success or failure Of every
single human life.
'Manifestly. it is through the rail-
roads of the country that the life blood
of its commerce flows. And those
who have the power. and by virtue of
the power exercise the privilege of
controlling the means and determin-
ing the rates of trans portation, have
the power and exercise the privilege
of leyying tribute upon the Ia Dor and
the frugality of the people whom they
serve. And the experience of the Am
erican people has shown that il can
not be safely left to those who con-
troll the operation of these great en-
terprises TO fix the rates Of transport
tation free from the regulation of eff
fective competition or the superior au-
thority Of governmental control.
The right of states to regulate the
transportation in interstate commerce
OF railroads engaged in interstate
commerce is now vigorously denied, for
the reason that it is claimed the fixing
of rates is intrastate commerce of nee
eSsity determines or. at least. direct
ly affects the rates of tranSporta tiOn
in interstate commerce. This conten-
ton has but recently been sustained
by the United States circuit court for
the district OF Minnesota. in a decision
known as the Minnesota rate cases.
If the right Of regulation of the
rates of transportation in intrastate
commerce shall be denied the several
states, then there will be enjoyed by
the railroad companies the right to fix
intrastate rates of transportation free
from any supervision regula tion.
And they Will thus be enabled to levy
a tribute upon the people of the sew
eral states, the amount of which Will
be limited only by their own necessi-
ties or desire for gain. Further than
this, the denial of the right of the
several states to regulate the rates of
transportation in intrastate traffic will.
as an inevitable and logical result.
suit in the denial of the right of the
states to regulate or supervise the
conduct Of any business interstate in
its character If thereby the conduct of
that business in Interstate commerce is
directly affected or burdened."