Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1914-04-03
CHARGE ROADS
With BAD FAITH
Iowa State Commissioner Hopes
Action is Not Designed to In
fiuence Commerce Board.

Washington, March 29.-Clifford
Thorne, state railroad commissioner
for Iowa, does not believe real neces-
sity exists for the dismissal of $1,000
men by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company and $4,000 by the New York
Central. He regards it as an arbi-
trary use of great power. In his
opinion possible explanation may
lie In an effort to influence decision
by the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion in the pending request for
per cent increase in freight rates. In
commenting on the subject Commits
sioner Thorne said:
81 sincerely trust the exploitation
of the discharge of these men has
not been done for the purpose of in
huencing the commission. If these
acts are done at this particular time
for the purpose of influencing the
decision in this case, and if that is
the object in view in taking off some
sixty passenger trains, and removing
other facilities which will seriously
discommode the public, then these are
very effective methods of ofbrowbeating
this tribunal-nothing more and moth
ing less.
"Out west such methods are old
and familiar. 1 do not claim that is
the object. / hope sincerely that it is
not the boejct, and that these gentle
mon do not hope to influence this dis
tinguished tribunal in that manner.
Precisely those same tactics were
used in the state of Iowa twenty-five
years ago.
Claims of pending disaster and
ruin have been repeatedly used to
influence public tribunals. A we'll
merited rebuke was once given BY
the Supreme Court of the United
States, in these words:
Disaster to business and
widespread financial ruin, it has
been intimated, will follow the
execution of its (the Antitrust
Act's) provisions. Such predic-
tions were made in all cases
heretofore arising under that act.
But they have not been verified.
1t is the history of monopolies
III this country and in England
that predictions of ruin are ha-
bitually made by them when it
is attempted by legislation to re-
strain the operations to protect
the public against their exac-
tion.'
"These words were written by that
distinguished and courageous justice,
the late Hon. John Marshall Harlan.
in the Northern Securities opinion.
"The discharge of 10000 men does
not prove a solitary fact at issue in
this case. 1t simply proves the CO.
iossai power of few men that can
throw 10000 poor families out of the
means Of daily maintenance. We
knew they had this power before they
ever discharged the men. If that is
to be the test for deciding this case
there is absolutely no reason why the
same method cannot be resorted to
year from now and then the follow
ing year, and So on for the future.
IF such acts are to control the re-
suits in cases involving annual re-
turns on a substantial portion of our
entire national wealth, then govern
ment regulation is farce. The SOON
er we find that out the better it will
be for all concerned. But 1 cannot
believe fer an instant that such will
be the case.
"Mr. Willard has stated this case
Is epoch-making. agree with him
it is epoch-making; it is a test case
to see whether the people of this
country are willing to have the issue
determined by disinterested expert
tribunal upon the facts proved to be
true. Their ailroads claim q crisis
exists in their business. We accept
that issue. And Ihope the atmos-
phere can be cleared for a fair. dis
passionate, well-baianced review of
the merits of the case, independent
of all outside influences, brought
about by the most colossal agpreea-
ton OF combined wealth existing in
tho TTpifaJ Cto4onU "