The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-10

Yesterdays conference at the White
Hou~c between President WILSON and
railroad executives representing every
mart of the land was open advertise
ment of an exceedingly critical juno
ture which calls for a prompt and rad
zeal change in governmental attitudes
toward one of the greatest of American
industries.
The White House conference has fur
nished the occasion for declaration
OF Intelligent public policy couched In
terms Of substantial relief for the COM
mon carriers which the Interstate Com
merce Commission recently had. but
failed to grasp, the opportunity To
make. Had Congress, or what Is more To
the point. had the Interstate Commerce
Commission. which Is the creature Of
Congress. done it's obvious duty in the
past 1t is likely that the railroads
would not to-day be suppliants for
emergency action on the part OF the
Government imperatiyely required by
a variety Of menacing circumstances.
Inc appear Iluut W WV q i''ih'hh 80
the evidence of the wars exigency that
there has been a past failure In the
discharge OF public duty toward rail-
road enterprise, which stands In
relation to Government different from
any other form OF economic endeavor
in the United States. The railroads
and the railroads alone have been sub
tected 10 a progressive Increase Of reg
Native restriction which has made 1t
altogether impossible for them to cope
with the emergency Of the war with
out governmental support. Had reg
ulative policy not been persiStently
directed toward the prevention OF a
surplus OF railroad earning power
which would have surrounded railroad
credit and capital with margin OF
safety, railroad enterprise would not
to-day have to invoke the Government
aid which has become obligatory.
When the President considered yes
terday with railroad representatives
what the present state of the common
carriers was and what the attitude OF
the Government should be he must have
been impressed by the necessity of ar
fording them relief which the Inter
state Commerce Commission has not
seen fit 10 grant Without disparage'
nent OF the commission, which more
closely resembles an expert body than
ANYTHING else In the Government SER
vice so far as time has furnished tests,
Il failed lamentably to measure up to
the situation in deciding the Eastern
rate case.
II went further than 1t had ever
gone before in making Through actual
rate advances a recognition OF the de
STABILITY Of sufficient revenue to main
tain railroad credit, hut the allowance
was hedged about with qualifications
which deprived it of much concrete
worth For the rest the commission
was still unable TO comply with the
requirements OF It's once by cutting
loose from the entnnglements OF stale
poliDical preiulires and treating the
railroads In that spirit Of liberalism
which a. IS the task Of democracy 10 eX-
press. II succeeded only in maintain
Ing the reputation of commission gov
eminent for an intolcrable slowness in
dealing with conditions with which free
unrcgulaDed enterprise is permitted to
deal with precision and speed,
Before the outbreak ~ the war,
railroad finance, on which the upkecp
and extension of the transportation
system depend. had before II pros
rsct of gradual impairment Of credit
unless the change Of public policy to-
ward the railroads family intimated In
the Eastern rate decision should pro-
coed with greater CELEBRITY than was AT
all likely, As q result " the war il is
probable now that public policy must
reconcile itself 10 number of short
cuts 70 railroad relief II the country
~ 10 be spared the destructive conseJ