The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1915-11-13
Same Sauce For Goose and Gander

The Western Association of ShortHne Railroads will
appeal to Congress at the coming session tor rehe1 .
the present method of fixing the pay allotted TO the rah-
roads for CARRYING the mails. Several of these roads are
in Nevada. In view of the many charges and counter
charges between the railroads, the Postoff1ce Department
and certain patrons of the service, it is strange that TINS
matter has not long ago been more thoroughly threshed
out, not merely with reference to the shorter lines, but TO
the transcontinental and interstate lines as well. Inc
Interstate Commerce Commission has been given fuh
power of regulation over passenger and freight charges.
The carriers are limited to rates fixed by that COMMISSION
whose function it is to ascertain operating costs, including
maintenance costs. The Commission is responsible 10
the people for a policy that will give them a satisfactory
service without excessive rates. 1t has corrected many
abuses on the part of the railroads, and has in other IN
stances gone SO far as to make proper service with proper
maintenance impossible. 1t has no doubt forced more
than one railroad into the hands of a receiver.
The Commission has, nevertheless, shown a DISPOSE
ton to correct it's own errors when pointed out, and the
public has more confidence in the Interstate Commerce
Commission in matters of equity between the people
and the railroads than they have in the Postott1ce Depart
ment, which is always more or less closely allied with
~politics-generally more-and whose chief is apt to be
looking more keenly for a record for himself than tor
abstract justice or permanent efficiency, IN either postal OF
general transportation service. He is one man, always a
politician; the Commission is composed OF seven, all as
independent of politics as the members of the Supreme
Court, and presumably appointed with special reference
to their qualification for the important service required OF
them.
The Tribune will not assume to pass upon the rates
of mail pay now existing, but the fact that the roads, or
a group of them, prefer the Interstate Commerce com
mission as an arbiter rather than the Postoff1ce Depart
ment, would indicate that they believe, at least, that they
have a grievance.
The private shipper cannot dictate terms to the rail-
road company, nor can the company dictate terms to the
private shipper. Then what possible logic or consistency
is there in permitting an executive department OF tine OoV-
eminent. with a single head, to override the authority or
question the integrity and fairness of that very Comm1s-
sion which the same Government has established as a court
Of arbitration between the railroads and the people? If
the Government itself, as represented by the Postofflce
Department. has no confidence in the Interstate Com
r,orc Commission how can the Government expect the
neonle TO accept it's rulings without complaint? If the In
terstate Commerce Commission, after its twenty-e1ght
wears of experience and with its big corps OF transPorta
ton experts. cannot find where equity lies, as between the
railroads and the Postoffice Department, the Commission
should be dissolved and its work transferred to the POS,
master General. Let the Government and the peOpe
have the same arbiter, and the sauce for the goose be SILL
Tic;ent for the gander.