Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-09-14
REGULATION Of
PASSENGER RATES
1t Has Increased Business for
Railroads, Declares Gov.
ernor Aldrich
.HAOLEY TALKS TO EXECUTIVES
Second Day of Important Con.
ference at Spring Lake,
New Jersey.

(By Special Leased Wire to New Mexican,
Spring Lake, n j., Sept. 14.-Ad.
dressing the conference of governors
here today, Governor Herbert S. Had.
ley, of Missouri, spoke on the right
of the state to fix intra-state traffic
rates. He was succeeded by Govern
or Aldrich of Nebraska who said: ::
Address by Aldrich.
Governor Chester H. Aldrich of Ne.
braska, author of the Nebraska rail.
way rate law, addressed the conven.
tion of governors today on "The Right
OF the States to Fix 'Intrastate Traffic
Rates." Governor Aldrich made a
plea for state authority in the regu
lation of public utilities. and gave the
results of the operation of the Ne.
braska rate law to illustrate his ar.
gument.
I'VE have just read in recent de.
cision, of nationwide Importance, >
said he, where our supreme court
has gone into the legislative bust.
ness. 1t is now becoming quite the
thing for federal courts of inferior jur.
isdiction to the supreme court of the
United States, to invade the province
and rights of these sovereign states
by subterfuge, cunning device. and
falacious reasoning and thus nullify
state laws and tie up generally the
government of the states, deprivins
them of their right to control their
own internal commerce.
"The right to enact statutes and
regulate such corporations to the end
that only just and reasonable charges
may be made, is inherent in state
legislature for that commerce which
lies wholly within it's borders, and
the power and duty to say what is
reasonable and just when such an is
sue is rendered devolves not upon the
legislature, but upon the courts Of
this land.
'In other words, the idea that courts
can legislate either directly or indi
rectly is repugnant to our entire
scheme of government. When g
court, in an issue rendered, has sait
that certain rate or fixed, charge Il
unjust and unreasonable, then 1t ha!
used its power to its fullest extent
and the overwhelming weight of au
thority establishes these propositions
and whenever a court steps outside o
this particular province, 1t is not onl,
autocratic, but may be accused just
|ly of arrogating power and authorit,
that belongs to another department O
our government.
II am here to say that the legisla
tion of today, as carried on and regu
lated by the several states of thi!
union is, in the main, just and equit
able and fair and that railroad com
panies doing business today undel
these regulations are prosperous.
"As a notable instance of this,
call your attention to my own state
in it's regulation of the common car
riers therein. I here make the as
sertion that under the regulation
through the freight rate law, the pass
enger rate law. and the railway com
mission, the railroads of the state o.
Nebraska are on better business ba
sis and on better terms with the peo
pie of the state and do business will
them more satisfactorily than the,
have ever done before in the histor!
Of their existence.
"The railway commission Of Ne
braska has been in force and effec
for four years. More than a Thousand
orders and judgments have been en-
tered during that time by this com
mission affecting the common carriers
and the public. OF the $50 Judgment
and orders that have been entered
! by the commission Of my state, onl.
two of them have been appealed from
They have forced better service
have forced the railway companies t.
build many new depots, to re-ballas
their tracks, to make various connec
tions, have forced them to chang,
time schedules, have made them pu
on trains and have done innumerabl,
things for the general betterment o
the service of the company and tn,
public.
ri know not what other states ma!
do; know not what other states ma.
think. But I can speak for my owl
state and say that she demands tn
right and the privilege to be allowe,
to do the things which her sovereignt.
her independence, and her libert.
says she may do.
II say that my state will not onl,
insist, but 1t will carry forward a
any and all hazards. its inherent gov
ernmental functions and in doing thi
! 1t stands in line an unbroker
chain Of decisions coming down from
the highest judicial body in the land
from the earliest day to the present
1T will respect courts and cour
decisions. But as q condition prece
dent to all this, It demands that cour
opinions stay within well marke,
lines and respect the sovereign pow
el OF these states In the regulation
and control o. thet- own purely inter
nal commerce.
"At all times It asks these court
to do homage to the scheme of repre-
sentative government and let tn,
courts remember that tyranny cloth
ec in the garb Of judicial ermine ha
! features as hideous as though Ii
the hands Of 9 ccsar."