Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1915-03-18
uI RAILS MJ,I 49, lam,

lNr EfW IDr. 'aflufI.Ia|J
lhs United 'f.feF supreme Court haa r.au
hed tHr railroad rt. question uy holding tHat aI
passenger .ad freight rlte. r...f BE- fair Toxins
the West Virginia pas~ngr. .r. ,ar- and %,
>prh Dakota cool rate case boo conjunction wlth
Eu0r decision. unfolding tlr authority oi DO. lu.
irrsf.'s Commerce 'Y'uui.sIYu io i.s reasonable
fafa- aaI ia f-e.-a. discrimination against ONE set
% shippers ar localities in favor of olhsrs and th-
Iau pI ,Hr Iand regarding uaI0I. rates as inter
pfr'rd hy noe highest count may br summed up
10 one word ..r Iha . highly sauslap.
Tony solution oi a sssed problem Hereafter rail
roads must mot ,Ntrge excessive flfr. OF prarure
discrimination. and no rhe other band Congress
state legislatures ihr luisraf, Commerce Com
mission and aIi state railroad .DumissiDus must
permit railroads o. charge utss thai afe com
prr..ary
Railroad. .1n come INTO being s1d do bua
us.. only ly fr.e CRYING from rhe .peerrlgn people
certain extraordinary puslIeges such as 'he right
OF eminent domain without which mo right oi way
through settled country could Boz obtained at %
Jar pu,e u return for these privileges they
must rea fhe puhl. iudy and they must submit
% reasonable regulation by legislative bodIe. and
commissions Zoo return tor extraordinary iayora.
uot granted 200 ordinary prrspr. Yr corporations
they mu. serve br pulH. efficiently and they
mH.t sfI transportation 30 ihr lowest rates which
cam h' made to yield o. iHir profit ou ihc invest.
mrnt hear brood principle ore now clearly
defined and firmly established by O. series OF ou
ptrmc Count Judgments which seem 90 cover 40
ronuueeu,-s Shippers passengers and rail
roads now have i1r field and mo- favor
The West Virginia tno.Dcut rate case of the
NddoIl ID Western Railway Company proved
|'HHf b. could mot ,auy passengers 81 profit for
Two cent. % mule 900 ihul plrt of ihc country Tins
.owpany freight business was profitable and thr
Iwo cent rate d'd not lmpcul its tolvcury though
o was non compromising he court holds that
the state may not arbitrarily control one depart
mcut cot thc atIroad business and obligr % 90
auy passengers 1l los, mo- matter how great the
benefit CO. the pulh, may poe he state has
broad powers over The railroads bat n does not
enjoy ID" night at an owner. Justice Hughes de
,Iarod n rendering Judgment Railroads may ,i
they choose carry passengers or classes OF freight
.al O. loss provided they treat all passengers ot
shippers alike They cannot discriminate and they
.annol charge excessive rates. This Judgment does
mot disturb ihc power OF lhc state 20 regulate rail
roads hui ,b, regulation mus, be- reasonable
What is reasonable rate IS question of fact
T Only 900 dcu,ely populated and prosperous sec
uoue of The country can two. cent passenger rate
yield i1.r profit ur br ,ompcnsaunv as the
count puts it Ior,l conditions must be- taken
INTO account and a alr oi five cents "a mile ca
uofr ou railroads running through mount1inou.
country Zoo serve mining ,lmps s often less pro.
ht1hc than two cents Mule iu popuous New
|1nr lu the West Virginia case the railroads
were helped by thc uniIorm system ol bookkrcp
na pres ribbed los tbe Interstate Commerce Conn
m...tuu winch facilitated ..mptusous
Ihr North Dakota coal Uie case involved lhr
Northern p,..n. and lhr Minneapolis ST. Paul l-d
oauf Ntr Naue 70 subsidiary ol Oh, Canadian ra
.un. Railway Both railroads ere profitable and
tuuue financially 500 lhc attempt of the state lo
taI.. them Dob foster local Industries hy fixing vrry
/ d. u H.