The Washington herald., 1916-01-26
The Railway Mail Controversy.

Unduly favoring the railroads in the adjustment
of transportation rates has never been charged
against the present Interstate Commerce Commits
sion. 1t has never been intimated that the inter
ests of the shippers have suffered from its de-
cisions. The delegation of railway presidents who
appeared before the House Committee on Post
offices and Postroads and asked that the contro-
vcrsy over compensation for carrying the mails be
referred to the commission hardly exposed them
selves to the suspicion OF seeking an unduly
friendly tribunal They ask that their dispute with
a shipper. the United States government, repre-
scented by the Postmaster General, be considered
by the interstate Commerce Commission another
government agency whose principal function is to
determine charges for transportation service that
shall be fair alike to shippers or passengers and
the carriers.
Regardless of what action Congress may take
the request OF the railway presidents must have
the effect OF Strengthening their position, in the
public mind at least. The roads claim that they
are being very largely underpaid for the services
rendered the government, while the Postmaster
General Processes to believe that they are over
paid, and proposes to revolutionze the method of
measuring service and compensation to suit his
own ideas and those of his associates Railway
officials only in his proposed plan a large
increase in the cost of handling the mails, with no
apart in their views, with scarcely possibility of
ever agreeing. Concedng that both sides to the
controversy are honest in their convictions, it is
reasonable to assume that the railway men possess
knowledge OF conditions and requirements govern
ing the transportation of the mails superior to that
OF the Postmaster General. Manifestly it would be
injustice for the Postmaster General arbitrarily to
impose his own conditions the carriers, even il
1t is in his power and it is impossible for the roads
to compel him to comply with their demands for
what they believe to be right.
The situation is plainly one for the Interstate
Commerce Commissiop to deal with Not only
should it decide as to the merits of the present
dispute, but no reason is apparent why the duty OF
determining compensation for carrying the mails
should not be placed permanently in its hands
On the subject of transportation the members of
the commission are supposed to be expert authori-
ties, qualification not possessed and not expected
OF the Postmaster General. Rate adjustment is
peculiarly the commissions function and it is in
conceivable that the government, shipper
should be unwilling to trust its interests to its own
agency, established for the purpose of administer
ing justice as between private shippers and the
common carriers.
No one knows, of course, how the malcarrying
roads would fare at the hands Of the commission,
but that they are willing that their claims should
be adjudcated there instead of in the Postoffice
Department is evidence of a confidence that the
government should not lack. So far as the gem
eral public is concerned it will be chiefly interested
in the prospect, indicated by the request Of the
railway presidents, that an end may be brought
to long standing and disgraceful row over money
to which their government has been party,