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Just when you think you've seen all of the political theories about Amtrak, someone comes up with a way to trace Amtrak's existence all the way back to Teddy Roosevelt.
"The Hepburn Act of 1906, for which he worked lustily, strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission’s grip on the railways — a step that led eventually to the dilapidation of the railroads and to Amtrak."
Perhaps the historians among us would like to take a stab at this one?
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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Well, the National Review is a right-wing publication, and would naturally take an antigovernment, antiregulatory view of history. It's a bully pulpit, isn't it?
train lady Member # 3920
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After going through some of my books on TR I found that he fought Congress for the bill which prevented the railroads from raising rates without the approval of the ICC. Apparently there was a hugh public outcry over the practices of the railroads and he wanted the power to regulate the interstate rates and bring the railroads under national control.This is what this act did.
George Harris Member # 2077
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This bill was also a way to pre-empt state regulation which gave you such things as higher rates between such places as Marshall Texas to Shreveport (40 miles) than to Dallas or Houston so as to keep things in state.
ehbowen Member # 4317
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George—please clarify. Were the high interstate/low intrastate rates the result of the ICC regulation, or was that the situation under state regulation before the ICC regulatory authorization was passed?
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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In very simplified terms, the Hepburn Act put "teeth" into the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887.
While the precarious financial health of the circa 1970 railroad industry (remember volks, I was there) was certainly a factor in the creation of Amtrak, I must wonder how the scenario would have played out had the industry enjoyed the financial health it does today.
Would have Amtrak been formed anyway or would have the railroads "soldiered on" until Staggers when I guarantee you, any intercity train, including the NEC, would have been gone as quickly as was KCGX - Chicago Meigs Field, or now apparently the Bennigan's restaurant chain.
George Harris Member # 2077
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quote:Originally posted by ehbowen: George—please clarify. Were the high interstate/low intrastate rates the result of the ICC regulation, or was that the situation under state regulation before the ICC regulatory authorization was passed?
Result of state regulation
irishchieftain Member # 1473
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The author doesn't know what he's talking about. Roosevelt's actions set up the Golden Age of Railroading, if anything. Roosevelt was certainly hundreds of times more the conservative that Mr. Knox Beran (or McCain) could ever hope to be. Laissez-faire "economics" has been the ruin of this country.
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