Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1916-08-24

known to its founders. practically
too strong for its ordinary private
remedies. The growth OF great
corporations, centers OF vast
wealth and power, new and potent
elements of social influence, over
running the country with their
works and their traffic, has been
marvellous in the last half century.
II is very certain that the country
has gained largely by them n
commerce and development but
such aggregations of capital and
power, outside of public control,
are dangerous to public and pri-
vate rights; and practically above
many public restraints of the com-
mon law, and all ordinary reme-
dies Of the common law for pri-
vate wrongs. Their influence is so
large, their capacity OF resistance
so formidable, their powers or
oppression so various, that few
private persons could litigate with
them; still fewer private persons
would litigate with them for the
little rights or little wrongs which
go so far to make up the measure
OF average prosperity of life
Hardship On Individual Citizens.
1.-THE opportunity of the citizen to
make his complaint and have his COM
plant heard is vastly important. Big
traffic associations like the Milwaukee
Merchants and Manufacturers Asso-
citation can get hearing before the
Federal Commission The individual
citizen OF the state has no such oppor-
tunity. To compel him to go to Wash
ington to complain is equivalent to
complete denial of justice. l have
studied this subject and know where
OF / speak. | helped frame our law
end helped pass it. looked at 1t
| from the standpoint of public welfare.
Nov, Governor Philip appears
with proposition to surrender all
this great achievement. Governor
Philip is interested in transp nrtation
business. It may be taken for granted
| that he speaks from the standpoint Of
the owners of railroads.
Wiseonsn's Plan Is Best.
voters of Wisconsin, do you realize
what this means to you?
Wisconsin has the most intelligent
regulation of railroads of any state in
| the Union. and a much more compre-
hensive regulation of railroads than
that exercised by the federal govern
ment through the interstate commerce
commission. In the first place. Wis
consin acting under the splendid law
passed in 1905, administered by the
able commission appointed in con-
| formity with its provisions, went about
| the business Of regulation in a sys-
| tematic and fundamental way. The
! first step was to ascertain the value
Of the properties that conducted the
| transportation of the state, that is. the
railroads, in order that rates might be
| fixed which would pay the expenses OF
operation and maintenance and leave
enough to provide a reasonable profit
or dividend upon the investment
Means Increase In Rates.
Compare this with federal regula-
ton where no valuation has been
| made What this would mean in dol
| lars and cents to the people of Wis
consn may be partially illustrated by
a comparison of interstate and intra-
| state passenger rates. The intra-
| state passenger rate in Wisconsin Is
2 cents per mile; the Interstate rate
! established by the interstate COM
merce commission, that Is federal reg
ulation, which Governor Philip ad-
vocates, is "a cents per mile. On
Wisconsin business alone this would
mean approximately $1,500,000 a year
additional charge to the people Of the
state Of Wisconsin on passenger traf
f1c alone The increase on freight
! transportation based upon present
| rates would be an immense sum of
money, probably many times greater
then the increase on passenger
charges
Nov this means that Governor
Philip asks the people of the state
of Wisconsin to surrender their right
to govern themselves with respect to
the control of transportation and to
transfer that business to the federal
government.
Would Destroy Affect of Law.
Wisconsin has enjoyed the greatest
prosperity since the enactment of the
railroad commission law in its whole
history. The saving in transportation
charges has been many millions of
dollars a year as a consequence of re-
auctions made by the railroad COM
mission.
mot being able to repeal the law,
or to entirely nullify It by administra-
ton, Governor Philip proposes by
this radical policy to utterly destroy
intra-state regulation. Il not only
means millions and millions of dol
lars and cents over charge to the PEG
pie OF the state of Wisconsin. but 1t