which are private in their nature. He had wondered many times what such a committee might be doing; and, because of the secrecy surrounding its proceedings, was inclined to believe that action contrary to public interests was sometimes agreed upon. After a careful examination of the entire set of documents, he is prepared to state that he firmly believes that the publication of every page of these proceedings could bring nothing but good, or at least no harm, to the railways concerned. Throughout the reading of the many resolutions, orders, petitions, and decisions one is impressed again and again with the earnest desire on the part of the railway men concerned to find the correct solution and to pursue a just line of action. But the public is much like the boy with a balloon it wants to know what there is inside. The public factor in railway enterprise is so large compared with the private factor, that the public is fairly entitled to know, within reasonable limits, what is inside. And this the railways have recognized in many ways, for it is a familiar fact that no stock can sell well and maintain its level on the exchange unless the promoters take the public into their confidence to the extent of issuing full and accurate financial statements. The chairman of one of the great classification committees struck the core of the question when he said that the general public might without detriment to railway interests know everything his committee was doing and that public opinion would uphold their action, but that per haps not enough was at present given to the public. A system of advisory councils makes it easy for both railways and people to acquaint each other with their doings, and the resulting knowledge will add as much to harmony between them as it will increase the value of the services performed by the railways. PART II THE PROGRESS OF RAILWAY LEGISLATION1 1The greater portion of Part II was included in a report to the United States Industrial Commission, published in Vol. IX, pp. 897-1004, of the Reports of the Commission. The present treatment differs from the report to the Commission in that specific references have been indicated wherever practicable. |