Show just discrimination in railway rates all railroad men qualified to speak on the subject in a responsible way are likely to agree with president samuel spencer of the southern rail way when he says there Is no dl vision of opinion as to the desirability ol 01 stopping all secret or unjustly dis devices and practices practises of whatsoever character mr spencer in speaking of un justly discriminatory rates and de vices makes a distinction which Is at once apparent to common sense there may be discrimination in freight rates which Is just reasonable and impera required by the complex corn mercial and geographical conditions with which expert rate makers have to deal to abolish such open and honest discrimination might paralyze the industries of cities states and whole sections of our national terri tory this distinction between just and unjust discrimination Is clearly lecog nihed in the conclusions of the inter national railway congress published yesterday tariffs should be based on commer caal principles taking into account the special conditions which bear upon the commercial value ol 01 the services ren tiered with the reservation that rates shall be charged without arbitrary dis I 1 crimination to all shippers alike under like conditions the making ol 01 rates should as far as possible have all the elasticity necessary to permit the devel 0 the traffic and to produce the greatest result to the public and to the railroad themselves the present proposal Is as mr walker D hines ol 01 louisville shaded in his remarkable testimony the other day before the senate committee at washington to crystallize flexible and justly discriminatory rates into fixed government rates which cannot be changed except by the intern antion of bome government tribunal and by this very process to increase the tempha alon to depart from the published rate and the lawful rate in order to meet some overpowering and urgent condition new york sun |