The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1917-07-06
RAILROADS HAVE
TOO MUCH LIBERTY?
Government Control Is Suggested
as Remedy for Transportation
Evils.
(From Pacific Echo)

OF this nation has never been prlmar-
lily transportation system. Its
component units have been pawns Ia
The Wall street game. Iu the days OF
the elder Vanderbilt, railroads were
run frankly without consideration for
the public.
Later, when the abuses became
unbearable, the nation attempted to
regulate them. The Interstate Com
merce Commission was created, which
touched part of the problem. Then
state Railway Commissions were
created But neither national nor
state regulation accomplished very
much, except that the railway mag
mates were not quite so brutally frank.
10 expressing their inherent contempt
of the public.
Instead OF speaking 10 contempt Of
the public, they took up the role OF
sulky protestants against the "rulna
tion OF the railway system by tou
much regulation" and of whining
applicants for permission to "raise
freight rates "
LII times were dull they had to have
higher rates; il times were prosperous
they had TO have higher rates.
They pointed TO the damage to
their credit from regulation; they
could get 40 money for equipment, or
extensions, and wanted higher rates
as ompeusatinn-for letting things
deteriorate
When they got into tangle with
the Brotherhoods, and Congress,
under ''compulsion, passed the
AdamsOn law-whlch they fatty
! declared they would not obey-the,
demanded the price for the law IL
increased rates.
There is before the Commission
now Hat demand for Is per cent
,, increase 10 freight rates, which will
! mean approximately an additional
tax upon industries, manufactures,
and ultimately upon the consumer,
said to approximate $4OO, 600, 900 for
freight t.ansportati0n-not because
/ the railways are hard up; or times are
dull; not at all; but because, II the
people will regulate the railways, and
will insist upon them meeting the
reasonable demands OF their employees,
the, "public must pay"
The public always pays, as you will
notice; and the public would have
small kick over the bill, IL IL got its
moneys worth from this most impor
tant of all public utilities.
II it had dependable, efficient
service; If the transportation system
of the Nation were managed and
manipulated primarily as a transpor.
tatiOn system, which performed its
function at a pace which kept up
with the Nations business
But nobody can reasonably clam
that the railways are anywhere up
with their job.
Now what is the matter with our
transportation system?
"'Too much Libertyw
No, that isn't my opinion; but the
opinion of real, friendly experts, who
have studied the railway problem.
Selfishness, stupidity! Too much
competition! Too much duplication!
Too much grab in routing freight all
around Robin Hoods barn, instead of
by the most direct route; too much
pulling up hill, where there is right
at hand natural grades at half the
distance.
Can these things be eliminated?
Yes, siil
When? That's the funny part about
| the problem: Right now!
How? Voluntary cooperation,
under direction OF what IS practically
government control!
Crazy? No. Didn't you know that
the war has made it necessary to sur
render the liberty of the railway COM
panes?
That before our first 5000 unit
of our big army Is ready TO move, the
railway companies. working in unison,
under a directing council, which takes
no account of the liberty of indlvd-
ual companies to do As they please (n
conformity with the old brand ui
American liberty will have pracii-
cally reconstructed our transporta