The Washington herald., 1917-07-01
SAYS RAILROAD MEN
SHOULD BOSS BOARDS
Writer Praises Herald for Editorial
on Rate Decision.

Editor, The Washington Herald
Your editorial, entitled "The Plight of
the Railroads." should be reprinted
throughout the country. It is a mas
terpiece. The conclusions drawn in
its closing paragraph should cause
thousands of men to consider seri-
iously whether the railroads are not
suffering from bad regulation at the
hands Of so-called expert regulators.
The average citizen has regarded
the regulation of railroads by gov
ernmental authority as a distinct for
ward step in the march Of civiliza-
ton. In the light of the knowledge
which he possessed he has been sat
isfied not only that such regulation is
proper, but that without II the ma
tion's business would be completely
dominated by the transportation in
terests, and the many exploited for
the few. He has believed. of course,
in the principle of the square deal
and has been willing to admit that It
applies even to the railroads. but he
has believed that under governmental
supervision the roads have prospered
and that they would continue to
thrive.
As a matter Of fact, however, the
railroad commission is an innovation.
and an innovation may be defined as
something new and contrary to es-
tablished customs. So new are rail-
road commissions. and 50 contrary to
esta blished custom, that the opinion
that they form a necessary part Of
railroad operation Is by no means
unanimous. If there were no regula-
tion at all, II the railroads were ab-
solutely unfettered by competition.
they would still charge reasonable
rates, because an extortionate rate
would kill the business they tried to
create.
Many prominent thinkers in this
country have expressed the opinion
that the regulating boards would not
stand the test Of time; that as soon as
the public appreciated the situation
they would demand their abolition
and insist that railroads be allowed
to develop under natural laws through
the operation of which they have
grown to be the wonder OF the world.
and which laws-like those of supply
anu OtIHdIu anu uOI
made by human hands.
Contrary to all established customs,
and regardless Of all rules of prece-
dent. the men selected to be railway
regulators have never spent a day
in the railroad business. and the
strangest part OF 1t is that while this
system is defended as success we
do not extend its workings to any
oth h,,e r,-II l.. ~,
an appointive body. There are boards
Of medical examiners, dental, law,
pharmacy and insurance. Do we ap-
point insurance men TO serve on
boards of pharmacy. or druggists to
comprise the insurance commission?
Would We have much respect for a
medical board composed of lawyers
or a board of law examiners made up
of doctors? Yet the policy rejected
in those appointments is employed
with respect to Railroads.&c. greater
science than any Of the others-or the
fact remains that with very few ex-
ceptions every appointee on a board
OF railroad commissioners In this
country is a man who never spent an
hour in the employ of the business
he assumes to govern.
there are several such in America
there is only one president. He must
have risen over the heads of 49, ,999
others. many of whom were nearly as
well qualified as he. His selection
has been the result of years OF appli-
cation to duty which developed busi-
ness acumen and sagacity of a high
order. By all laws governing the
conduct of human affairs II is right
and proper that this should be so. Yet
by amending and repeating those laws
men are placed on these commissions
and given far greater control over
the railroad business than the presi-
dents have; men who not only are not
as capable as the president. but are
not as well qualified as most OF the
40 ,999 other employees.
There is nothing strange about the
proposition OF railroad men running
the railroad business Bakers bake
bread. Shoemakers make shoes. Poll
ticians make politics. Watchmakers
regulate watches. Why not railroad
men running and regulating the rail-
roads? Instead of handing over the
railroads to theorists and experiment
talists. why not let experienced rail-
road men have charge of the nations
great arteries? Why not change the
present farcical system OF railway
regulation?
FRANCIS DE SALES RYAN