The railroads seriously object, first, to the fixing of their rates by anybody but themselves, and second, to the putting of such rates into effect before they are tested in court. The immediate enforcement of a rate order is most strenuously opposed, and with much force of reason. The railroad people say that rate-making is very difficult and many mistakes are likely to be made. Railroad history certainly affords ample ground for this conclusion. But they say, or imply, that the Commission makes more mistakes than they do. They declare that only trained traffic experts can deal successfully with rate questions; that the Commission has made so many errors that almost every one of its decisions that has gone to the courts has been overruled; and that great havoc would have been wrought if these decisions had been put into effect at once without judicial review. “Take for example, the Maximum Rate Case where the Commission ordered the rates from Cincinnati to important Southern points cut down 15 or 20 percent. This change in rates to the basing-points would have affected two or three thousand rates. Some of the railroads didn’t have a margin of more than 15 or 20 percent and they determined to fight the case. It is true that the Commission exercised the power to fix rates a number of times in the first ten years, but the cases were comparatively insignificant and the railroads said, ‘Oh, well, let it go. We’ll take the rate the Commission wants.’ But when it came to the Cincinnati case the situation was serious and the railroads said, ‘These fellows haven’t got the power to make rates. In the debates on the Commerce Bill in Congress it was distinctly declared that no such power was intended to be given. We’ll take the question to the courts.’ And the courts sustained the railroads. Now what would have been the consequence if the Commission could have put its order into effect at once? The railroads would have been subjected to serious losses during all the time that might elapse before they could get a decision reversing the order of the Commission. It often takes years to get a final judgment and there would be no way for the railroads to recover for the losses entailed by erroneous orders.” This is the argument substantially as presented to me by President Tuttle and there is great weight in it. _Alleged Errors of the Commission._