The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-12-24
COMMISSIONERS REPORT.

Commissioner Conant is energetic IN
dealing with the transportation eompa-
nies. both upon land and upon water.
He SAYS TINT the water lines along the
Atlantic and Gulf coasts are to large
extent auxiliaries or subsidiaries of the
railroads; and that railroad companies
and steamship combinations control the
main domestic transportation Of the
United States, destroying much compe-
tition. He goes into details in support
of his propositions on these matters.
and sets forth that this control has
caused the abandonment OF many avail
able waterways. He makes the start
ling statement that the west to- east
business on the Erie canal is virtually
controlled by railroads, and that It's
east ttowest business has been largely
diverted to the railroads, From these
premises he urges the further Federal
regulation of the joint railroad and
water traffic Of the country
AS TO the Erie canal. il is known
that the State Of New York is engaged
IN making that as near Ship canal as
is possible. and is spending more than
800, 100000 in the work During the
progress of this work, doubtless, there
is an interruption to the Erie canal
traffic which gives the railroads tenn
porary advantage that they are not
likely 10 retain.
The conditions set forth by the Com
missioner as to the waterways along the
Atlantic and the Gulf make serious
situation, and il is very likely that it
was in consequence Of this situation that
Congress took strong measures against
the free use of the Panama canal by
vessels controlled by railroads. And
this in turn suggests that it is quite
possible that the railroad interests in
the East have as much to do with the
British protest as TO tolls on that canal
as any real British concern about it,
and that the attitude of number OF
the metropolitan papers is governed
by this rather than any idea of abstract
justice or right. 1t appears to he the
fact that the Canadian Pacific rail
road is at the bottom of tho British
protest, and it is quite likely that the
American railroads are doing what they
can in the same direction, not with
consciously unpatriotic view, but sim
ply as matter of business affecting
their transportation control,
We have an idea in this connection
that if the clause forbidding the free
use of the canal by vessels owned or
controlled by railroads was eliminated
from the law there would be al once
cessation of much Of the rampant
bowling against the alleged unjust and
"repudiating legislation of Congress
with respect to the canal.
Commissioner Conant's report is
valuable document to the country,
as showing the conditions which he
finds TO exist. and as illustrating the
tendency Of the times towards combi-
nation and suppression Of competition.
All this is good for the public to note;
but so far as its influence upon Con-
gress is concerned, it can confidently
be reckoued that nothing will be done
during the remaining part of the short
session Of the present Congress, What
the next Congress will do is another
matter; but it is certain that this re-
port and other reports by Department
and Bureau officials will afford ample
material for the new Congress TO work
upon in case it is disposed 20 take up
questions Of this sort.