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Show BASEST CRIME OE OU HEEKERAT I ON Thus Does Judge W. 0. Gavnor Describe Abuse of Freight Hates, MONOPOLIES ARF1 DANGER TO FREE GOVERNMENT Oops Not Favor Federal Control, hut Government Should Appoint Ap-point Freight Agent. KANSAS CITY; May 33. - Judge w. T Gaynor of the appellate division of t ho Supreme court of New York addressed ad-dressed the Knife n n. I Fork club here tins evening; al its monthly dinuor Judge Gaynor spoke on freight, rati abuses and aaid thai while the actual payment of rebates is now seldom done, favoritism is still practiced in many t.-.ivs. 3a spoke of t be railways ns rublio highways and Baid the fact thai hey should be used to enable n fw men in destroy theiT business rivals is the basest crime of our day He did not favor government ownership, but said thai because of this favoritism il was iv wonder a crowing number of people wanted the gove rnmcnt in tahe over tbe railroads. He Baid in pari : Thcr v no prejudice in tills country ap.iin?' lionorn tiiy ncrpiirpo' wealth, however how-ever larc" rt la wealth acquired infa-r infa-r ously which i undei the ban of the splendid Intelligence s nd Integrity of the people or thle country The prime object of the Covernment Is to promote dis-tributive dis-tributive lustice to all. Without this object ob-ject being fulfilled, there ran be no rrUe I i ri v. Prosperity Is the highest production pro-duction which B omniunltv is capable, of consistent With the physical and mental wMtnre of its members accompanied by f luf distribution ol the total product among the producers This does not mean share and share alike, but Recording Record-ing to th" productive capacity, physical 01 mental, or both or each Tf a few ar gei.tlnjr each year and constantly, by book or i crook the total product of nil who work, then the condition Is not one of prosperity. Rockefeller's Big Gift If certain Individuals in a short lifetime life-time become possessed of so much prop-eiiy prop-eiiy that they can make abnormal gifts to charity. If one man can lve ft,v,i. for Instance, the vasl sum of $32.ooiV"i in one k if t without fcciinn it any mcir than yon would nils'-- fS, we make a fat.il mistake If we ascribe such a condition to prosperity. Jf wo tind the railroads being used to allow a few to acquire sucji fortunes,, for-tunes,, al the expense of their feUowmen b'v having l h c i r fi eight carried at a lower rate than otheis have to pay so thai ii.m an able to create monopolies in themselves, our condition Ifl not one of prosperity, but it i dangerous to the perpetuity of our free government. From the beginning of the world the public highways always had been built by the government In the snne way the government could liae bull I our iron highways the railroads. And even though privately built, the r'lllroads of the countiv me sill! public highways This is the decision of nil the courts in the land The corporations, nor the Individuals In-dividuals who control 'hem. cennol do wish them Bfl they Will They are mere trustees "i ls of the government to run them as publli highways, for the benefll of ait. and wlthoul any favoritism favori-tism or discrimination to any one, Every free pass issued, every favor in freight rates granted, Is in defiance of the law. Some people are under 'lie delusion that recent statutes made these things unlawful un-lawful Not at all! They were, unlawful from the beginning. We only need statutes stat-utes to moke it a i rlmlnai offense to grant them :.nd to jail those who should gran' them. That these public highways should be used to enable a few nn-r. to destroy their business rivals is the basest bas-est crime of our day and generation. ""Government Appoint Freight Agent. Som.j have come to the conclusion that the government should take the railroads rail-roads and run them in order to end the abuses. For my part I would not see the government do it. Private enterprise enter-prise Is too valuable to be eliminated from railroad building and management if it can be avoided My own view is that il is only necessary for the government govern-ment to appoint Ihe general freight agent of everj railroad, for he cotild stop all rate favoritism at onee. It would not be for his office to tix the schedule of rates, but only to Bee that every one paid the Mime rate, no more lind no less The actual payments of rebates hack to shippers is now seldom done, but favoritism is done in many othT ways. Tins favoritism is freight rates is also used 'o defeat the national tariff by g -Ing foreign goods a freight rate low enough to enable them to come in and be gold at a profit, In spite of the pro- te:tive tariff. TMswfa.vorltlsm in freight rates and passenger '-"Tales Is also a wrong to the railroad stockholders The railroads now paying 2 or t pet cent dividends divi-dends would be paying nearer 10 per cent If the favoritism In freight rates were stopped. No wondei a growing number of people want the government I to take the railroads. |
