New Britain herald., 1915-10-12
STATE REGULATION
 UPHELD BY THORNE
President of Railway Commission erS' Association Discusses Issue

! ly defending state regulation In it's re-
 lation to business and particularly tc
 railroad rates as opposed to what he
 characterized as a tendency toward ] complete federal regulation, Clifford ] Thorne, president of the National As { sociation of Railway commissioners | in his annual address at the organiZa- tion's convention here, said today that the issue between federal and state regulation was vital and was based on fundamental conceptions of govern ment.
 The relative merits of a strong cen tralized government and a federated government were reviewed by the speaker, who urged the retention of regulative power by the states as a destinctive part of the great Amer ican experiment" the federal plan.
 Happy Medium.
 '"Too much 'nationalism' is just as wrong as too much states rights. There is a happy medium" said MT. ThOrne.
 ''It is not this government as one nation, not the several states, but the
 
 has rendered such a distinct contribu- tion to the welfare of humanity. It is this federal plan that must be most jealously guarded. A tendency one way or the other, towards cen- tralization or towards decentra1iza- ton, is dangerous"
 To Wipe Out State Lines.
 "For several years there has been gradually developing in this country a sentiment in favor of wiping out state lines," said MT. Thorne. "An agitation, partly spontaneous and parly inspired by interested persons, has been carried on to support a change in our judicial decisions rela- tive to the powers of a state to regu- late business.
 Tt is now vigorously claimed that the time has arrived for the prac- itcal abolition of all state regulation. Such change in the American plan of government would be of stupendous importance.
 ''The issues of today concern vast property interests, and the future poll icies of state and nation on many grave questions of business are vital ly concerned"
 After reviewing the Minnesota rate case and the decision of the United State supreme court, MT. Thorne said: ''The court said that the ques- .ion as to whether federal regula- ion of commerce shall supplant state 1 Is not a question for the l to determine; it is legisla- | i've and not judicial in character. It l now becomes. not a question of pre- ,edent or of statute, but one of ex- | oediency, of wisdom"
 Strikes at Fundamentals.
 Within the next twenty-five years | all our commercial af- | fairs will be carried on by companies ! doing both state and interstate busi ness," said MT. Thorne What is good for railroads will be good for others. Shall we abandon our state so far as the regula- ton of business is concerned? Here | is an issue which strikes at fun da- mentals; which has to do with the l method of government.
 ''In striving after the new, we fre- 1 luently fail to realize the intrinsic value of the old. What is the funda- mental characteristic of our govern ment? It is the creation of a na- ton, large and strong enough to as- sert it's independence among the world powers; at the same time com bined with a form of government se- curing real tangible home rule to the various independent sovereignties making up that nation.
 Demands Great Remedy.
 eff the national government is per- mitted to gradually absorb those functions formerly exercised by the states, it will only be a question of time until some great evil will de- mand some great remedy. Agitation will follow agitation. There will be no opportunity to try out the new proposal; the nation as a whole must | adopt 1t or reject it.
 We believe the federal plan, as conceived by our fathers, is better than the new nationalism. We be- lieve the states are distinct factor in our scheme of government.
 Sort of Safety Valve.
 "This federal plan is a sort of safe ty valve against political and indus trial revolutions; and it is the great est ever devised by the makers of government
 Tracing the history of railroad l regulation, MT. Thorne pointed out | that practically every important ad- vance step in the regulation of rail- roads, corporations and great con- solidations of our generation, has | originated with the states and called | attention to the establishment of state railroad commissions with pow CT to fix maximum rates in 1S87 sev- enteen years before the same power was granted to the Interstate com merce commission.
 States Experiment Station.
 "As one state after another finds l the action of their neighboring com to be wise and good" he !