Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-02-19
HC PINE BLUFF ARKANSAS WEDNESDAY MORNING.

are to be considered by the l. C. (. soi' such regional bodies as may be ap- pomtedl in fixing rates. The priuciral ones amongst those times are of course. Wages, cost of materials. a return on the far value of ralr,ld properties Ut q sufficient rate tu a, tract new capital and stimulate enter prise. It is surely not beyond the capl city of language to define with clar- 'tE what items enter into the cost of q product. The product which rail roads are selling is transportation ot passengers and goods The price O. the proruct is the rate
 Of course, 1 realize that the eatis factory working of the method aro- posed IS still dependent, to an extent. on the fairness and breadth of view of the ratc-making authority, whcth- CT 1t be the |. C. C. or some newly dealgnated authority, and that it does not provide a working formula. But self-working formula in rate making ls, l believe, a practical i'm possibility.
 Would Have Charter.
 At any rate. under the proposed de- flnltion the railroads could appear be- fore the l. (. (. or regional commis sions, with precise charter of rights. instead of, as in the past, having Go come as lmportunate bcggars, throw lng themselves upon the mercy of the Commission, with the effect of under mnlng their own credit by pleadug and perhaps pleading the dire need for higher rates and the disas- tfous consequences which would fol. low If higher rates were not granted And If the commissions disregardcd the rights of the railroads to a fair price for their product, they could un- i der the definition above suggested go to the courts and obtain prompt and effective redress, which under the vague terms of the existing law is in fact denied to them [
 l hardly need emphasize that the , views l have expressed do not attempt to address themselves to a complete program of railroad legislation but as far as they offer positive suggest | lons-merely to the matter of assuring fair rates as against the proposal of a ! Government guarantee of minimum : earnings.
 Could be Diminished.
 l should like to add that, whilst ! believe the number of separate rail ! road corporations could with advan- tage be greatly diminished and the . of the weaker lines by the . strong lines should in the interest of . good service to the public be faciitat- ed and encouraged, l am opposed f to the suggestion that the number of systems should be so re- duced as to give the country over to a very few great regional combinations. My antagonism to this proposal rests . on the ground that 1 believe it would | diminish competition to the vanishing 9int and soon lead to Government op- f eration in fact, if not in name.
 Admire Methods.
 The open-mnded spirit and the and. painstaking man. her in which the Senate Committee is conducting the hearings on this subject are wholly admirable In their attitude towards the problem they are, I believe, correctly representing the temper of the public which never, inn posed for tranquil and dispassionate cofSldefaClOn or the cOmpleX ana dlf- ficult questions involved. All the more reason why those who by experience and study are qualified to contribute to the discussion of the problems, should express their true views with complete frankness and not make themselves sponsors for makeshift compromises To reconcile conflicting views, to determine the weight to be