This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1914 Excerpt: ... of such paramount importance to the public, and of such an exacting and costly nature from the standpoint of the railway, cannot in any proper sense be regarded as a mere incident or by-product. "Another way in which the idea here discussed is sometimes suggested is that if we assume that the railways did not carry ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1914 Excerpt: ... of such paramount importance to the public, and of such an exacting and costly nature from the standpoint of the railway, cannot in any proper sense be regarded as a mere incident or by-product. "Another way in which the idea here discussed is sometimes suggested is that if we assume that the railways did not carry the mail, the railway cost would be but little less than it is at present. Such an assumption is utterly inconsistent with the existence of the Post Office Department underpresent conditions. The railroads could exist without the postal service, but the postal service could not exist, in any modern sense of the term, without the railways. An assumption which is thus inconsistent with the very nature of the Post Office Department ought not to be indulged for the purpose of depriving the railways of a just compensation for carrying the mails. "The further idea has been advanced that on account of carrying the mails the railways enjoy the power of eminent domain and the protection of the Government in cases of strikes, and that therefore they should carry the mail for less than what should be a full compensation therefor. The same reasons would apply equally to all other carrying functions of the railways. They enjoy the power of eminent domain because they are common carriers of passengers and freight, and they enjoy the protection of the Federal Government because they are instrumentalities of commerce among the States. If these are reasons for their being paid less than full compensation for their services, the reduction of compensation cannot be restricted to the mails. If the power of eminent domain and the governmental protection operated as an excuse for giving the railways less than just compensation, then there would be no induce...
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