Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1915-12-25
CAUSES STIR In STATE.
Freight Rates Hearing Before Inter-
state Commerce Commission At
tracing Attention.
BY Ellis B. Usher.

DAiNduhcc anu W lSCOH6lH general
ly have been considerably stirred.
this week, over hearings held in Ma
Olson by an examiner of the Inter
state Commerce Commission upon
various freight rates to Madison. The
Board of Commerce of that city
brought the action, and Milwaukee
and other places were asked to inter.
vene. This is only one of the fire.
quent local situations that are affect
ed by rates in trunk line territory.
On top of this came also the an
nouncement of raise in interstate
passenger rates by ruling of the
Interstate Commerce Commission
1t is announced by those who have
looked into the matter that this raise
will affect two thirds of the passen-
ger business in this state and others
go so far as to think that the mex
tricable community of interests in
rates between states, and rates with
in states, will work disastrously to
our two cent fare law. All of these
rates and all of the conditions affect
ing them are, of necessity, largely ar
bitrary, They are affected by the
fallibility of human wisdom and IL
mited by territorial lines and by the
inherent human element of selfish
ness. Within recent years the states
and the nation have attempted to i'm
pose upon the operation of the rail
roads and other corporations the SUI
perior and presumably unselfish wis
dom of the state. Speaking of the
country as whole the result has
been to develop grave, new, and
growing question of states rights, in
conflict with the powers of the nation
to regulate commerce, and to induce
rivalry between national and state
bodies designed to regulate commerce.
Steadily this rivalry is narrowing the
field from regulation to interference
with local management especially of
transportation and other public ser
vices. From a broad idea of correct
ing abuses, and preventing rebates
and other partialitv, the official bo-
dies have gone more and more into
attempts to direct the minutae of
managing business. The develop
ment is a constantly increasing num-
her of cases like those discussed at
Madison on freights and fares, which
bring localities into conflict over in
terests that axe not open to any but
arbitrary, temporary and doubtful
settlement. The railway question Is
growing, daily, into a situation that
resembles the calf walking around a
post and gradually shortening his
rope as he goes. And the thing that
some people cannot seem to realize is
that not only is the calf's freedom be-
coming more and more restrained but
the post is being wrapped tighter and
tighter with the rope, all to no good,
sensible. or practical purpose. The
socialists may get some arguments
out of this situation in favor of 60
vernment ownership. but when it is
realized that it is all the result of too
much or too minute government in
reference already, the argument will
be like that of the fellow who took
1.-THE hair of the dog to cure the bite. ;"
Regulation is practical but the con-
slant tendency of all regulative bo-
dies is to attempt more than they can
possibly do. They can successfully
do only very few broad general and
nationally important things. They
cannot direct the operations of rail
roads or of any other great business.
The effect of all such system and fore
doom proper regulation which is con-
stitutional, possible and important,
to failure. Some of the corporations
that are constantly running to the
commission with petty details that
should go to their own management,
are doing what they can to aecomp-
lish the failure of regulation, quite as
effectively as the too jealous, too I'll
mid, or too accommodating officials
who entertain their problems, when
they should send them home.