Excerpt from A Simple and Sure Solution of the Transportation Problem

The Supreme Court Of the United States has held that it is not discrimination within the meaning of the Interstate Commerce Law to charge the big shipper a rate less than the little shipper; I know the argument on which that is founded, and I appreciate its strength. It is true that it costs less per ton to carry a large bulk than a small bulk. It is true that a less percentage of profit can be reasonably charged to the wholesaler than to the retailer. But these arguments made in behalf Of discrimination miss the mark, miss the whole core of the subject.

In this country there is no such thing as size to a business man.

The man of little size expects to get big. He has a right to get big. He has a right to have the atmosphere of equal Opportunity and equal conditions in which to grow, and excepting, of course, some unit, such as a ton or a car, the charge ought to be the same for the little as for the big shipper.

I say, as _the law now stands on that subject, what is permitted under the law is an unjust thing and ought to be corrected by law.

Now with this law on the subject of rebates, both direct and indirect, and this amendment to the law upon the subject 'of dis crimination, governed by the size Of shipments or the amount that each shipper is giving to the railroads yearly, it seems to me that the present law is pretty full and competent to meet. The conditions. I do not believe that we need much new prohibitive legislation. We have on our statute books already ample provision against rebates, except perhaps for some amendments on the subject Of discrimina tion between those who ship on a large scale and those who ship on a small scale. I do not believe we need much, if any, legislation on the subject of reasonableness of rates. The present Interstate Com merce Act in one Of its very first sections provides that all rates shall be reasonable and just. And it seems to me that the present law as it now stands is able to meet the question of the unreasonableness of rates. What is the law as it now stands? Upon a complaint being made to the Circuit Court that a rate is unreasonable the court, if it finds that the rate is unreasonable, may enter an order finding such rate unreasonable, and thereafter the railroad company is not at lib erty to charge that rate.

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