The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-11-16
Higher Wage Only Hope Of Country
 Says Judge Knapp
Head of Commence Court Re. gards Low Pay Economic
 Evil of Nation
Says Government May Yet Own Railroads, as Owing to Con- ditiOns This Will be Peoples Only Alternative

Philadelphia. Pa, Nov. 16-Discuss- ing the fundamental economic prob lem confronting the people of the Uni ted States, Presiding Judge Martin A. Knapp, of the United States Court of Commerce, last night, declared the only solution was a general increase in the wages of all workers. In the course of an address before the Hous- ton club at the University of Penn sylvania he also asserted that com petition was the cause of the rebate and other evils charged against Am erican railroads, and that they should be permitted under the law to end destructive competition.
 Judge Knapp'S remarks stirred his audience, among whom were some prominent railroad heads when he said that government ownership of the railroads might yet become the only alternative in the present rail- road situation.
 He argued that if the railroads were allowed to combine on reasonable and uniform rates that much could be done for their betterment and for the solution of one of the .country's most intricate problems.
 Railroad Men Applaud.
 It was the first of a series of three lectures on The Regulation of Inter- state Commerce. The second of these was delivered this afternoon at Hous- ton Hall. The topic was 'The Rela- tions of Interstate Carriers with their Employees and with Eachother." At last nights meeting 6 disting- uished audience of railroad officials was present. Judge Knapp was ap- same officials. He said in part: "I direct my attention in this discourse solely to the agencies of commerce, the railroads. Why should carriers be regulated? The right goes back to primeval days. Man in those times had ways of passage from one hunt ing field to another, from his rude abode to the places where he found his food and his sport
 ''When man advanced in civilization the right of way was one of the first fixed by ancient custom and finally by law. Then came the establish ment of highway and the streets. It the foundation of the State.
 Government has three important functions: To give security to the person, protection of property and as- surance of equal use of the highways. Henry George, the brilliant and not altogether mistaken thinker. declared once: What difference is there be- tween a man owning all the land and owning all the people? For, if he owns the land, he will own the peo- pie who are forced to dwell thereon
 'I amend that by saying that the person who owns the highways owns both the land and the people.
 Secs Ruin in Rebates.
 There is an inherent right to equal use of the highways, and the rise of the great railway system has not all tered this in the slightest. It is re- garded as settled, therefore, that the large shipper must not be favored over the small shipper, that cOmmuni- ties may not suffer, from discrimina- tion in rates; that schedules may be examined by the government; that re- batting and other evil practices shall be punished and that unfair rates may be changed.
 'In the wisdom of our legislatures, the giving of rebates and special priv ileges has been made criminal mis- demeanor. Its practice was once pre- valent. It is now rare as forgery or burglary.
 "Our whole national future depends upon the solution of these problems of interstate commerce. If we are to go forward the revenues of the rail- roads should be sufficient to pay such return upon honest investment that capital may be attracted for the con- struction and extension of railways and the development of regions that await us.
 .eThe revenues should be large enough to pay all employees wages, which will make national prosperity"
 It was here that Judge Knapp spoke of the possibility of government own