the public. The general freight agent is the employe of
a company which rates his usefulness solely by his ability to constantly
increase its revenues, and he invariably proceeds upon the theory that
the best tariff is that which comes nearest imposing upon each commodity
offered for carriage the maximum transportation tax that it will bear. A
man who entertains such opinions cannot be supposed to be able to do
justice to the shipper, and should not be permitted to act as arbitrator
in rate controversies between the public and the company whose employe
and advocate he is. Nor have we any reason to hope for a change in the
present tariff policy of railroads. History has sufficiently
demonstrated the fact that reforms must come from without. As long as
human nature remains as it is, railroad officials will, if permitted,
arrange tariffs in the interest of the men who give them employment, for
if they did otherwise their services would soon be dispensed with. A
freight tariff should be in the nature of a contract between the carrier
and the shipper, and the assent of both parties ought to be essential to
its validity. But as it is impracticable for all the parties interested
to meet for the purpose of effecting an agreement, the power to make
rates has in several States wisely been conferred upon railroad
commissioners, and there is a strong tendency in others to adopt the
same policy. Such boards have every opportunity to obtain any
information needed for the efficient and faithful discharge of their
duties. They can hear the representatives of the railroads as well as
those of the shippers, investigate carefully disputed points, summon
experts and witnesses, and obtain official information relating to
classifications and rates from every State in the Union, and, if
necessary, from every quarter of the civilized world. The assertion may
safely be made that, with experience, a commission acquires more expert
knowledge relating to the business of rate-making than a railroad
manager. If there is any mystery connected with the business of
rate-making which has so far been in the sole possession of railroad
men, it is to their interest to initiate the commissioners into their
profound secrets. It will be their privilege to enlighten the
commissioners as to the actual cost of their respective lines, the cost
of every branch of the railway service, and as to a thousand other
matters which the public has both a desire and a right t