Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-04-12
Second Plank of The Progressive
Republican Platform.

we urge oil eiiIeieHt uohS Olhltes
Commission,
That this is good republican doctrine is
evidenced by the fact that several states
now have such commissions. and in all of
them, with possibly one exception, the
law was passed by republican legisla-
ture and signed by republican governor.
We believe that nine tenths of the re-
publican voters of Colorado favor this
proposition. If we had really repre-
sentative government. a government
responsive to the peoples will. such law
would have been enacted long ago.
The opposition to it comes from the
same sources that oppose our first plank,
the one for "the elimination of corporation
influences from the councils of the re-
publican party" These are, first the
corporation owners and followers, second
the machine politician; the political hacks
who take their orders from, and do the
will OF the corporations; and finally, the
liquor interests,the saloon men. the bawdy
house crowds, and the herd of irrespon-
sible voters who can be swayed by malign
influences. These classes, so potent at
Denver, have controlled both party or
ganizations Of this state by the largeness
of that city compared tc the rest OF the
state, and by combination with other
selfish interests. hitherto prevented this
and other laws calculated to restrict
corporation activity.
The whole of the argument against a
public utilities commission may be
summed up in their claim that it would
be destructive of business. This state
ment may be deoisively answered by cit
ing the experience of those states having
such commissions. Legitimate business
has learned in those states that it has
nothing to fear. Legitimate business.
does indeed find such commissions de
structive,''
The promoter who would organize a
tramway compeny with a real invest
ment OF. say one hundred thousand dollars
and would issue stocks to the amount of
one million dollars, and would have his
company pay dividend on this nine
hundred thousand dollars, would find the
commission interfering" with business
Such a commission would say to him,
you may charge rates that will pay
good. fair dividend on the one hundred
thousand dollars really invested. but no
more. Your company is creature of the
people. you exist by their will. Serve
them well and you shall have fair re-
ward, You must not rob them.
Such commission would go to the
coal fields at Walsenburg, to take con-
crete example that affects the people of
Rocky Ford, and learn the actual cost to
the Goal companies of said coal fields.
1t would learn the actual cost, after
allowing decent wage to the miners, of
putting the coal into the cars. 1t would
permit the companies to charge enough
and only enough, to give them fair
dividend, all things considered. 1t would
learn the actual investment, the real cost
of the R. R. companies plant. Here
again it would learn the cost of labor TO |
the R. R. you can well afford to haul
that coal to Rocky Ford at such price"
Not the sweet will of the corporations
alone but the welfare of the general public
including the welfare of the capitalists
whose money is invested in coal COM
panies and railroads would determine the
price at which coal would be put in the
bins of our town. This is simple common
sense, and no self respecting community
will long endure any other condition of
affairs. tFor futher thoughts along this
particular line of the price of coal in
Rocky Ford we refer our readers to the
words OF the contributing editor of the
Enterprise in theChile- -Con-Carne columns
oF .ho ;ee,,a - l, 81 ,,ool, ,r5 ,,,,.I. ..