The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1914-01-06
PLAYING WITH GUNPoWDER.
Government Ownership Not Sole Al.
Tentative in Railroad Rate Case.

Tentative In. Railroad Rate Case.
(wall Street Journal.)
DO the railroad presidents who re-
sort so readily to the argument that
refusal Of the interstate commerce
commission to consent to . general
advance in freight rates means gov
eminent ownership. realize the tre-
mendous temptation they are putting
before the members Of that body to
decide the case adversely? National
ization Of the railroads would make
arm of he federal government, and
the individual seven members thereof
each a greater power in the land than
the president himself.
All will gladly admit the high per-
sonal character Of the commissions.
But they r still human, and any
other set of commissioners that might
be appointed would be the same.
Doubtless zone Of them would con-
sciously and deliberately veto a rate
advance. otherwise fully justified. for
the sole purpose Of seeing the rail-
roads fall into the lap Of government.
over an extended territory is q matter
SO fraught with both technicalities
and broad public policies that those
who sit In Judgment might we'll be
honestly unaware Of some OF the mo.
tives under which they acted.
To go even further, il railroad man
ayers show themselves SO willing as
SOME OF them seem, to give up the
fight for private transportation CAPT.
tai under SQUAD public regulation.
could the commerce commissioners be
blamed If they should say, in effect:
"Sinee you-have n stomach for q
f.yakI,A~ <N{o - snalvNnkA Aak
under existing rates, o cannot SER
iously object to the government try
ing its hand2" 49,.
Government ownership is not the
sole alternative to a favorable decision
in the pending rate case. Grave as the
consequences Of q contrary decision
would be 1t is safe to advance that
the very men who now talk so lightly
of railroad naturalization would ev-
en- then infinitely prefer to struggle
forward under the handicaps Of in
SUN rates and heavy operating
expenses, to allowing the country to
drift into the sea of troubles which
they rightly believe to be associated
with government ownership and OPP
GRAFTON. To think otherwise would be
to impugn both their sincerity and
their patriotism.
II the commission should decide
that the eastern railroads had not
justified the proposed advances the
development Of the country's trans
portation facilities and consequentls
the tranquil flow Of commerce in
BEAUTIFULLY expanding streams would
be checked. the value Of existing rail-
road Investments would be seriously
impaired. and very probably several
Of the weaker companies East and
west Of the Mississippi river would be
forced to readjust their capital or
~ganization. All this would be unset
Ting enough and moro injurious ia
all business than most persons real
ize.
But in greater or less degree these
evils are already upon us Further
more nj man can say, that operating
expenses and the cost Of capital Will
continue to rise indefinitely. II the
coutry were forced to pass through a
period Of suspended railroad anima-
ton In order to get right upon the
rate question its troubles would still
be less serious and more susceptible.
to prompt correction than if It had
taken the revolutionary plunge int.
all the palpable evils Of government
ownership.