New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-21
The Interstate Commerce Commis'
sion Has Put Itself on lrlal.

!, :. hard 10 teach the Interstate commerce
-, NON. tricks That body long ago
ra.sed tbc stage at which it was Wilde " 'i
iirte from any quarter The railroads. put ." q"
.emi.starvation regimen, might cry alouu }"
misery The business world might protest "7"'
tho stacuation caused bv Gripping the 'o"'
,.rriers As exalted political parsonage % ''
President might suggest that giving pacA p'''
;,, to the railroads would mean reVN" u
,,ro.noritv for the whole country. But the con-
,.,.s,o, has zone its own way with illconceaieu
1isdo,n for those who would hurry 1t into uo'"s
,,,o,binc rcpucnant TO its established preJudlceS
Iran Afr Brandes. its special counsel ana Tue
..o. odrocote Of short earnings for railroads ana
bort dividends for railroad stockholders auihl's
,hot IN the case made by the Eastern raiiroaus
,ho ,ottor are not making enough money to i've y
nj. odi,iop If semi.exhalstion forced on them
bv governmental regulation. has IN fac'' eAis'eu
-, .o,,rlo Of veors Expenditures have been in
creased through heavier taxation. federal ana
Toto ,hrovob laws recurring safer equipment ana
vocc arbtrations conducted under the supervision
Of the federal Bureau OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES o'i'
,,ot,,roIl, resulting in an award against the rail-
road The government has contributed s'eau"H ~
i,,.rooso rho burdens of the common carriers, but
allowed them 10 ouStI lic i"i -
drain on their revenues by any increase OF fregn'
charges. H..
Even the appeal Of the Eastern roads LOT Ie"ei
has been held up unnecessarily Tor months anu
months The plight of the sufferers is clear nut
The commission has followed to the bitter emu Il
uolicv Of mastery inactiOn. Stirred up by puouc
rrotest last spring. it was announced that ne
cision would be handed down by the END OF May
Then the day Of deverance was put on tH the
middle of June and then again until the fonr'h VI
Iulv. Now July is nearly gone, and we sui near
that something will he done "by the end OF the
week"
Meanwhile depression continues Nearly every
intelligent observer sees that square deal Tor the
railroads must precede any genuine business re-
rovcrv. But the Interstate Commerce CommlS-
sion has only a faint interest in the revival OF
trade and industry. 1t seems 10 care little what
happens to business long as it is permitted 10
tvrannize over the railroads. AS too often hap
pens with powerful administrative bodies 1t Is
more concerned about justfying its own proposes
sions than II is about contributing TO the general
welfare Of the country.
In this Eastern rate case the commission has
really put itself trial Its procrastinalon mas
greatly irritated the hundreds Of thousands OF
people who have suffered thereby. It could easily
have said months ago whether or not It intended
10 give the railroads substantial relief. But II
lacked the courage to face the situation, and has
dawdled along, hoping to find way 10 give some
thing without seeming 10 give IT,
The decision. when It comes. will be critical
one I'm the history Of the commission So far
there has been little complaint OF its activities
Pm, the country will not tolerate very long policy
on its part which IS merely obstructive and de
structive Practical people can have little use for
2 commission which does not know enough ia
make Itself an agency Of prosperity and economic
justice