Government because a railroad rate enters into every one’s life, it is only a short step to say that the final decision as to the price of coal, or water-power, or of any other agency producing power should be fixed by some governmental authority. Again, the price of labor enters into the cost of living of every one, and to a greater extent than the price of railroad transportation or the price of power, because the price of labor is the largest single item of expense to the railroad and to the coal-mine. If it is wise for the Federal Government to fix the price of railroad transportation because of its affecting every one in the nation, why is it not equally wise to fix the price of coal, of electricity, and of labor? And where are you going to stop?
One argument advanced for changing the present federal laws about rates is that there has been during the last few years a gradual elimination of competition, and there is a fear that rates will be so controlled that they will not fall gradually, or that they will be advanced arbitrarily.
