OCR Text |
Show SHIPPERS TO BLAME REBATING NOT THE FAULT OF RAILROAD AGENTS. Investigation by Interstate Commerce Commission Proves That as a Class Agents Are Honest and Faithful. Col. J. H. Woodard, of Cincinnati, O., well known nB a writer on ecoi noiulc nnd political subjects nnd who has had considerable practical experience expe-rience In railroad construction and operation, closely followed tho recent Investigation mndo by tho Interstate Commerco Commission relative to presents or bribes being given em-ployes em-ployes ot railroads as an Inducement to show preference to certain bIiIih pors, Col. Woodard, after analyzing the testimony, reached tho conclusion that tho Investigation was a good thing, becauso It exposed tho practice' between Bhlppers nnd railroad employes em-ployes that wns morally wrong and otherwlso might have continued Indefinitely. In-definitely. Col. Woodard, in discussing discuss-ing tho matter, snld: "Tho startling featuro of all of these Investigations wns that all of tho bribes had been paid voluntarily by tho brlbors; that they originally offered of-fered the bribes without solicitation from the agents of the companies, and that they did It secretly for the pur-poso pur-poso of securing nn unfair and unlawful unlaw-ful advantngo over competitors, and that tholr nets wero unknown to tho gcncrnl exccutlvo officers of tho several sev-eral companies. Some of tho bribers nttempted to Justify tholr acts by comparing com-paring them to tipping hotel servunts, claiming thnt the ngents wero under-pnld; under-pnld; but nil of them wero shown to hnvo expected some kind of discrimination discrim-ination ngaliiBt their competitors ns tho result of Uio bribery. Tho companies com-panies wore not tho sufferers by their acts, for tho reason that In nearly all, If not all, shipments made tho rates paid wero the samo as those charged everyone else for similar service. "Tho testimony, howover, did show that In every case whero bribes wero paid the bribetakers kept tho entire sum paid them, thus exonerating tho exccutlvo officials of the companies which employed the dishonest agents. Hut It did show a fact which cannot bo given too much promlnonco, and that is, that the percentago of brlbo-Hiking brlbo-Hiking ngents was much smaller than Is the case among public nnd private employes holding similar positions of trust. Compured with public officers In many mercantile houses or any class of trusted agents In any prlvato buslnoss, tho rullrond agents us a class stand pro-eminent for honesty and faithfulness in tho dlschargo of their duties. How many ngents wero offered of-fered bribes which wero rejected wns not made a subject of Inquiry by tho commission, but If It had been, and each ono who had refused had testified, testi-fied, It would havo startled tho world. Few persons stop to reflect that If shippers wero all honest there never would havo been paid ono cent ns ro-batos. ro-batos. Railroad agents, as a rulo, aro not hunting for business which has to bo purchased; the shipper demands rebates under tho threat of sending his shipments by tho weaker lines, which are In tho market with bribes. No railroad ever paid n bribe In tho form of robate becauso It desired to do bo; it was paid under n form of compulsion mado posBlblo by the existence ex-istence of rnllroads which ero not commercial necessities, and which had been constructed upon speculation solely, nnd could never hope to force tho stronger lines to buy them nut excopt by means of Injury they could do through transporting persons and commodities for less than reasonable compensation. "It Is truo that many railroads have made special rules to encourage tho growth nnd dovelopmont of the territory terri-tory through which tholr rails are laid Industries which could not hnvo developed without some Btich consideration. consid-eration. This policy has mado Ohio and Indlnna two of tho richest states, per capita of population, In tho union. It has dovelopcd the wholo west without with-out Injury to anyono or any locnllty. Transportation charges In the United States, figured from nny point of Inquiry, In-quiry, nro lower per ton per mllo than in any country In Europe or In England, Eng-land, and tho compensation of employes em-ployes of tho rnllroads nro qulto dou-bio dou-bio what they nro In foreign countries. Amorlcan railway employes are solf-respecting solf-respecting citizens and not servants who aro objects of contomptuouH ubuso, as nro thoso in Europe "My oxporlonce In rallwny operation lends me to bellevo that thore Is not n single case of wrongdoing on tho part of subordinate ngents which would not bo promptly corrected If tho injured party would report tho fucts to tho hlghor executives." Haltlmoro Amorlcan. |