Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1918-03-15

It is Just three to two bigger than
the Corporation Commission prom
iscd II would be.
As the News views the decision, II
says in effect that the State has no
right through its Corporation Com
mission to fix rates of compensation
for public service rendered. that tho
rate making by tonstitutiOnal pro
vision Is unjust: tina, 50 far as rates
are concerned the Corporation Com
mission is shorn of authority even
TO suggest the compensation for d
public service
The News believes that the nam
ing OF Il perpetual rat" on any scr
vie" or commodity, by any authori-
~ or by any Constitutional provis-
ion j. unfair We are living in a
world of changing price,, and IN"
cOnfiscatory na'lr" of Il perpo tuLl
rate might work either TO the d"tri
m"n' Of both The public and the pub
lie servant. or To the d"triment of
tn" public. and conversely in any
of which circumstances iniustic"
would result "COst of production"
is admittedly the only sound basis
of establishing the selling values OF
cornnluGi'y or service, and " cost Of
production depends altogether on
III" VARYING costs of a great many
other commodities and services that
enter into the production and so
d"licat" and sensitive Is our eco
noinic fabric that none can accurate
~ forecast what tomorrow pric"
may b" or what clenLSnts may enter
into tn" changing Of that price
one thing is certain If two cents
a mile were adequate compensation
for tn" railroads when the Oklahoma
was written. the same
rate Is confiscatory now. Converse
ly. II two cents a mile makes a fair
return now. ii was n rank public in
justice nine years ago.
The News doubts seriously wheth-
or or not those who were RESPONSE
Bile for the two-crnt provision of the
had even "A remote
idea whether this rate was f',ir and
adequate or gross injustice and CON
fiscaiion. but assumes that the pro-
vision was the result of the trend
of public feeling toward corpora
iiona generally. and railroads par
ticularly. at thar time The Daily
Oklahunan covers this side of the
in AN editorial in Ian
guagc as follows
At tn" time our Constitution
wa adopted railroad abuses
and arrogance had cmbittorcd
IN" public mind. The people
were in IA rrraliatory mood
They w"r" less concerned with
being fair than in demonstrate
inr their power. For that atii-
tud" tn" railroads had only
themselves to blame" they had
treated tn" public as II tooth
less victim that might howl in
pain but couldn't bi'". Th" pub
lie was driven by the railroads
10 prov" that il had teeth II
proved it,
Th"r" is one thing sur" there has
been reason for the financial dif-
iiculti"s of Oklahoma railroads. and
other railroads, for that matter.
There are thOS" who charg" every
corporation difficulties to pilfrr-
ing higher up. and there are many
who feel that tn" railroads. plight
cam" rs a natural result of too
much opprcssinn and too little rev
"nuc. The failure of any husinos,
ON earth. of any nature. may be- at
trihut"d To ON" of two things lack
of r"venu" or lack of proper man
ar"m"nt, In III" case Of the railroads
the News believes the trouble has
been Il lack of revenue"
In this issue of the News appears
a fun page advertisement paid for
in part by five local business pcoplr.
which explains about all there is to
tell about Thrift Stamps and War
Savings Stamps. and "" earnestly
r"uu' 81 every Reader of the News
to read this advertisement carefully
and digest the whole business. What
little lack of interest there is in the
Baby Bonds in certain places is due
To lack of Information, and there is
no need uf any reader of this paper
being uniformed if he will read ~
Governments message that few
a. . t,, hri, -,