Show ONLY ENTITLED TO fAIR RETURN Railways Charging More Than Normal Rates Under Ban of the Courts I a SHIPPERS CAN RECOVER ADDRESS BY ATTORNEY TORNEY A GEN GENERAL GENERAL GENERAL ERAL HADLEY St Louis Mo Sept CO ZOA A conven convention convention convention tion of attorneys general called on Aug 22 by a committee of which At Attorney Attorney Attorney torney General Badley Hartley of Missouri ouri was chairman convened here today I with attorneys general and assistant attorneys general present from twenty two states tates The purpose of the th meet ing is for a general discussion of anti antitrust antitrust antitrust trust laws railroad rate regulation and state rights and it is deemed probable that a permanent organization will be effected The sessions will conclude to tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow morrow evening Attorney General Hadley of Missouri delivered an ad address address address dress on Railroad Rates Address Attorney General Hadley said in part That It is the right of the state and national governments to regulate freight and passenger charges has ceased to be a question of controversy Under the principles of our common and the provisions of our statute law lawa a railroad is both a common carrier and a public highway A railroad cor corporation n is created by the state and is given certain unusual powers and privileges privileges privileges in order that It may render to the public service common common to all alike and on fair fall and equal terms It exer exercises exercises exercises some of the attributes of saver sovereignty sovereignty as a necessity incident to its operation and as a consequence it owes to the public an Impartial and fair discharge of all the tho powers con conferred conferred conferred upon it Men who associate themselves together in the form of a partnership or a corporation for the purpose of engaging in any ordinary business enterprise have a legal and a amoral amoral amoral moral right to make as much out of their business as they can make by conducting it along legal and honor honorable honorable honorable able lines lilies But men who associate themselves th together in the form of ot a corporation for the purpose of operating operating operating ing a railroad have neither a legal or moral right to receive more than a fair return upon their investment Inso Insomuch Insomuch Insomuch much as they receive more insomuch do they take from the public what they have no right to receive and every even persons who pays a railroad hn tin amount in excess of a normal charge for the service rendered can recover such ex cx excess excess cess In jn an action of law in case he can prove his facts Decisions of the Courts We can approach the concrete ques questions questions questions of law and fact Involved in the question of ot railroad rate regulation with the following regarded as thor thoroughly thoroughly thoroughly established by the decisions of the courts Is the right of the national nation r government to fix the charges at which the railroads carry passengers or prop property property property erty In what la is known as Interstate traffic Second It is the right of the gov government government eminent to fix the charge at which the companies carry passengers or property wholly within the limits of a state Third This right of regulation must be exercised so as to give the railroads a return upon their investment the amount of such return being a ques question question question tion that has not yet et been thoroughly settled by the decisions of the courts of last resort |