The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-10

complete jurisdiction Of Congress and
its agent. the Interstate Commerce
Commission.
President UNDERWOOD OF the Erie
Railroad summarizes the effect Of the
new ruling lucidly when he says: at
slmplihes matters" For the rest 1t Is
question IL there Is quite as much
jubllation among railroad arrangements
over this outcome as was promptly
ascrlbed to them yesterday when they
were represented as exulting In the es-
cape thus offered from the weller Of
confused legislative enactments and
commission edicts of forty eight States,
plus Congress. and the Interstate Com.
merce commission.
Beyond peradventure there Ia relief
here. and in theory ut least something
IL gained by the railroads II they are
to have one boss instead Of forty-nine.
Even II the Shreveport decision meant.
which It does not. that for the rail
roads the State Legislatures and pub
lie service commissions are to be here
after as though they were altogether
non-existent, the events Of the last two
or three years have probably qualified
very much the erstwhile anxiety of
the railroads for utter freedom from
State regulation.
The Shreveport case shows. as have
most cases involving an oppressive
state exercise Of regulating power over
the railroads, that redress Is not diff
cult to procure from the Federal courts.
IL Is not nearly 50 apparent that the
same courts AFFORD such ready sanctu.
AIRY for the carriers from the oppres.
power.
Again. the exchange Of the state fry
Ing pan for the Federal fire Is no sub
stantial gain for the railroads unless
the national policy toward the carriers
Is going to DO informed with n more
intelligent. fair minded and courageous
purpose than has been displayed in re-
cent years. Making due allowance for
the political fury excited by the mis-
takes and abuses OF which railroad
managements have been guilty. 1t may
he submitted that national political
programmes toward the railroads have
obviously been dictated less by we'll
considered intent to safeguard the fu-
ture than by destructive desire to
punish and avenge the past.
Nor has 1t been the States which have
done most to drive the railroads to the
devil Of Government ownership about
as fast AS they could go. 1t has been
the legislation Of Congress as inter-
preted by the Interstate Commerce
Commission which has seemed to many
reluctant observers lately to be maxi
Ing the appalling refuge Of Govern
ment ownership the only way out of the
Increasing cmbarra ssment of the com
mon carriers denoted by Government
compelled expansions ~ expenditure on
Government decreed declines I'm charges
for service resulting In growing loss
OF railroad credit In the worlds mar.
ket FOR capital.
How much the railroads are helped
by the Supreme Court Qualification Of
the Interstate commerce power depends
on the political tokens OF the future at
Washington. The cownrtilce which
Congress has been displaying in other
fields Of Legislation IL not rea ssuring
indication for railroad prospect Of
entire subordlnation to the Congress
sional will. The Interstate Commerce
Commission has presented cumulative
evidence OF disposition to concede
| the inevitability Of Government owner
/ ship. and Its state OF mind has not
been conducive TO a course tending to
| spare the country the disaster OF II
Government ownership experiment
Just ut the moment, however. the
commission Is In position to make II
announcement Of policy which could
give hopeful Significance to the dec.
laration Of the law by the supreme
Court. II the commissions decision In
the Eastern rate case accords TO the
railroads IA measure Of increased earn
Ing power political treatment Of the
railroads should take a turn for the
better. unless 1t appears that the de-
cision Is merely a switch leading back
to the track of travel toward Govern
ment ownership.
Variety and Wounded Hearts,