Show I HOW IIO RAilWAY MAGAZINE MCLIN VIEWS RECENT I COMMISSION AGITATION IN UTAH TAU AND IDAHO In n vicar lo of the rP agitation before the legislatures of and Idaho laho for the ino creation of ItRI state stale railroad commissions the he he following editorial from rom a recent of nf time the Railroad Age gl Gazette Is of moro more than passing Interest to the people of I Itah and Idaho I I The editorial Is II entitled Lobbying I With Wih the People and Is II as ns s folo follows I At At the recent sessions of the legislatures legisla- legisla I tures of Utah Ulah and ammO Idaho bills bis were were Introduced Intro Intro- I hired to create state railway e with Ith large powers especially for i the regulation of rates The railways 1 thought tha that these thul bills bis were unwise and concluded to 10 oppose them They had been blen d denounced on similar occasions before for I lobbying at ot the state capitals The liar liar- riman lines decided de I on this occasion to 1 carry arr th their lr fight direct to the voters and to lobby ibby openly with wih them against th the proposed and the they waged waged for several sever sl erl weeks a unique campaign of education on the rl a railway question 1 1 A. A nee Beeves general l freight a agent elt Toll the open let Idler tor extracts from which W we publisheS published In oin Issue of April Apri 9 page KOff 0 Then Ih rat n 1 la 1 freight t ment of or the Oregon Short hort Line Issued and circulated widely a 2 page 28 pamphlet pamphlet pam pam- II I I t entitled W Rates nates f Some Explanations nations and nd Suggestions which Outlined clearly simply and concisely the time principles and methods of ot railway rate rate- making makinI Oth Other r open letters also alo were ere I sent nt out omit On August 10 10 1308 1908 th the Beaumont Texas a Dally Daily Journal 1 printed almost a n page editorial I 1 on time the rr Increase of In Interstate Interstate In- In te Rates Hates which described In de detail detail dt- dt de- de tail tal the ill I effects that Texas has lias suffered from the drastic of regulations In iii that state The Tue Harriman lines IntI had printed a photographic reproduction of the page on which hh h this dl editorial tr lon lonar ap appeared appeared ar ap- ap h and gave It wide circulation r In Idaho and Utah Similar use was al made of ot other articles The Time significant The results Ire were Itah commission bill bi bial wa was al defeated In the thed senate e by a vote of 12 to 4 and tile the set Idaho d bill was 1 defeated J I In Oth th the h house l of representatives h by a. a a vote ot of 37 31 to 14 1 Lesson for Railways There Is II en fn n Important lesson Ion In iii this thin for th the railways In iii 1 all nil parts of ot the United States A good a ella ny a men nien n have doubted td t the e ability many of l t the I BO so aAn called An plain hl Y people to pass pal Intelligently on railway questions A good 0 many have thought o t that the i 11 J m method 0 of lobbying I b at t th timS stats state and na national national na- na capitals Is II less lel troublesome and surer Hut this O method thod besides s being In many Instances n mutually m corrupting o uS g lt to r railways I and to p politics breaks down Just when hen the rad roads most mOlt need protection lion tion against unjust and harmful regula regula- ton tion Xo No 0 doubt It I Is II true that the average average aver aver- ag age business man or farmer has hal neither the time nor the I ability bl I to acquaint himself himself him him- self thoroughly with the complexities of o railway I rate t making th a and operation Butin nut But r In the h io long bug run u all ll the great e r public questions ques In this country are arc settled bv by b the ton people If I the pp people pl do not understand understand under under- stand them th they will wi settle sette ettI them unwise unwise- l ly by Information tor In a tf proportion po and n Ideas as they they have hass will 1 c correct settle rt j them less les unwisely or more I I Railways Hallways Were to Blame the regulation of One reason reaBon wh why wh railways In th the past pat usually has hal been unwise and unfair Is II that those thole who ho know the most about the railway bu business business busi busi- l- l ness commonly have ha given I en the least leas and effort ort to enl enlightening others tC about It Meantime those who thought b disseminating misinformation they could profit by formation a and fomenting public I prejudice h have been active The shipper who hoped 0 to get Jet more morl advantageous rat rates l and the time politician who hoped to ride the storm of railway anti ant agitation Into office orce have bias been ben untiring If I the results rull have ha been ben bad had for the railways f those who have p not done don what they could to protect them are as much to blame as al a those who have done all they could to harm har them Public lies Has Ha Rights Eights Right The railroad Is private property Hut But it Is engaged in a R public service BeIng Being Be Be- ing lug engaged In a public service brings It tt Into constant contact with the public and makes make all It and Its 11 officers and em- em do matters of peculiar public in In- In terest Whether railroad men enjoy It i ik or not the public will always I continue n to take k special raP Interest e JI In railway a matters r Time ThC roads will wi be more morp rather than leis in the spotlight in the future than heretofore The method of trying to protect them against unfair regulation by hy exerting proper or Improper Influence on legislatures and commissions Is II a temporary tem tern device It I ma may mav ke keep p one legislature legisla Cure ture or on one commission from passing unwIse unwise un un- wi- wi wise la laws WI or Issuing Injurious orders but hut it will wi not keep an nn railway anti ant legislature legisla ture Cure from being elected at the next election elec dee tion ton or 01 a radical commission from being belm created or chosen hosen On the tIme other hand fair fall rates rats honest practice and nd efficient management e n supplemented m bv by continued n i n m g efforts r to conciliate and educate public sentiment will I enable Enable the roads to withstand withstand withstand with with- stand unfair agitation permanent permanently nai Railroad road managers will wi see lIep the wisdom wisdom wis ida dom Oem of ot making more and anti more use ue In future of or the plan of campaign that the harriman lines found effective In Utah and md in Idaho |