Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-09-14

ficials as being mature, born of much
thought and an embracing knowledge
of the problems that are confronting
American roads today.
It is difficult to write on the rail
road situation without being one of
two things, or both-elementary and
redundant.
We may start with the text that all
transportation agencies must recog-
nize the supreme right of the public
to adequate, constant transportation
The life-blo of railroads is remun-
erative rate. The making of rates is
vested in body created by congress.
In addition to its rate-making powers,
it is, under the law, given jurisdiction
: over safety appliances Of every char
acter, boiler inspection. accidents to
persons and property, etc. Its duties,
when first constituted, were confined
to supervision of rates. Later on at
to il until a point has been reached
where it is physically impossible Tor
the principals to perform their allotted
tasks
Any commission will be fully &c
cupied with the important duties IL
volved in rate-making, supervision
over the issuance of all securities and
obligations, and decisions as to the
building of new and extension of old
railway lines. These undertakings
are enough to require the best effort
of the best men obtainable. Clutt?r-
ing it up with the minor details Of
| railway practice must always be an
inefficient and unsatisfactory proCe-
| Gl.re.
IT e desire of lawmakers to fe@er
railways was at one time quite ap-
rarant. When that feeling governed
Congress, the existing useless feaVu1eS
Of Government Control were added.
The Personal Equation.
Who could have a greater interest
in the integrity of a locomotive boiler
| than its engineer and the mechanical
officers charged with its upkeep? Who
could have a greater interest in pur-
SUING a course that will free railway:
from accidents than the employees, the
officers in charge, and the directors
who are legally and morally respon
sible for the proper management O!
their properties? They cannot dele
gate their authority; they canno
| evade their responsibility. The inscr
tioE into management Of any govern
II entail body, with the view of pre-
venting boiler explosions, train &c
cidents, etc, is sophistry-a duplica
ton of effort. Railway officials have
a personal pride in doing their job:
with the minimum number of acei
dents. They can be depended upo.
to find the cause and apply the rem
edy, as they now do. Investigation:
of railway casualties by governmental
bodies are farcical. Naturally the,
cannot get to the scene in time t.
reach intelligent conclusions. It i
''the day after the Fair" for them
1 The attention Of the Taxpayers
might we'll be directed to the cos
of the superiority Of efforts that max
no Improvement in conditions.
Summarizing: A Commission chars
ed with the responsibility for railroad
rates, the issuance of railway securi
ties and their obligations Of ever,
kind, having the power to prevent IN
necessary railway building and exten
sions, has enough to DELAYING tech
nical and mechanical matters to the
| natural experts.
That part of the Transportation Ac-
whereunder the Labor Board was ere
ated was a bungle. No other wore
so ftly describes it. It is wrong il
principle. A experimentation of wage:
in all the United States is is imprac
| ticable.
The Alkali District.
AS an illustration: Some years ag