Evening journal., 1915-01-04

The railroads in this country are
caught in a wise which is being
screwed tighter and tighter. Rail
roads do not oppose proper regula-
ton, but is 1t not time to inquire
whether regulation is not gradually
becoming strangulation? Many are
the signs now that the grip of cumu-
lative regulation Is slowly but surely
squeezing out the life-blood of what
President Wilson has called "the
one common interest Of our whole
industrial life"; that it is scotching
Initiative and enterprise; and that Il
is undermining the ability Of the
railroads to provide for future pub
lie needs.
In our treatment as a people Of
the railroad question we are obeying
literally the scriptural Injunction
Take no thought for the morrow. q"
"The railroad is here" We reason;
1T cannot run away: let us get ali
we can out of il now. because-may
be, its stock is wateredi"
Mr.. Prouty said before the National
Association of Railway Commission
ers in Washington on Wednesday:
Grave doubts exist as to whether
rates must not be generally increas-
Cd And then he added. "The Qucs-
tion cannot be satisfactory answered
until there is a national valuation Of
these properties" And Mr.. Prouty
himself predicted that this valuation
would not be arrived at until 1919
Regulation Of Railroads.&c. emil
nently desirable when proper and
not merely political-was originally
to prevent discrimination and op-
preston. In no respect is anything
else intended now. but the cumulative
effect of laws and commission acti-
vities is that this device Of states
manship is being converted into an
instrument of torture In what man
ner that is true may be realized from
the following:
Many States insist upon approving
the terms of security issues.
New Jersey insists that grade eros
sings shall be removed at the sole ex-
pense of the railroad At the meet
ing Of the National Association of
Railway Commissioners in Washing
ton. on Thursday Commissioner Hall,
Of Nebraska, is reported to have urg-
ed that "a concerted effort should be
made by all Commissioners In all
States that grade crossings should
be eliminated at no matter what cost
to the railroads" To remove all
the grade crossings in the United
States would probably cost $1,000
900 0000-one-third Of the present
total investment in our railroads
Commissions may order improved
stations and the installation of sig
nails: they may tell you where you
must and when you cannot stop a
passenger train.
They pass upon the quality of the
locomotive boiler; they prescribe the
character of headlight; they stipa-
late the kind Of ash-pan: and the
State Of Indiana has now decreed
that an automatic door be used on
the locomotive fire-bOx.
The law sets forth where the lad
ders bars and other safety devices
shall he placed on freight cars.
Commissions decree whether on
mountain grades YOU shall use hand
brakes holding the air brakes in
reserve, or air brakes. holding the
hand brakes IN reserve
Federal laws stipulate the number
Of hours men shall work: States tell
YOU how often you must pay your
men. and many State laws fix the
number of men I'm a train crew
The process of manufacture of steel
rails and the kind of ties used, are
still matters for which railroad Off
GERS are responsible, but at the meet