The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-03-09
Preventing Railway DISSEMINATION

Preventing Railway Discrimination.
Mr.. Brace, of AllegaHy county, has
introduced a very important bill,
which will have the effect of prevent
ing such determinations, and, as
will be seen by an examination of
its provisions, meets the special case
or the Pittsburgh and Connellsville
Road, as well as governing all other
railroads. Mr.. Braces bill is enti-
tied an act to prevent unjust discrim-
nations and extortions in the rates
to be charged by the different rail-
roads in this State for the transporta-
ton of freight and passengers on said
railroads. Section l provides that
mo railroad corporation organized
or doing business in this State under
any act of corporation or general law
of this State, now enforced or which
may hereafter be enacted, shall
charge or collect for the transporta-
ton of goods. merchandise, property
of any description or passengers on
its road for any distance, the same
amount as toll transportation that is
at the same time charged or collected
for the transportation of similar
quantities of the same class of goods,
merchandise or property, or for pas
sengers over greater distance over
the same road, nor any greater
amount than is so charged nor shall
such corporation charge different
rates for receiving, handling or deliv-
ering freight or stopping for passen-
gers at different points on its road, or
roads connected Herewith, which it
has a right to use and control. Nor
shall any such railroad corporation
charge or collect for the transporta-
ton of goods or passengers over any
portion of its road greater amount
as toll, transportation charge or COM
pensation than shall be charged or
collected by it for the transportation
of similar quantities of the same
class of goods or for passengers over
any other portion of its road of equal
distance. And all such rules, reg
ulations or bylaws Of any such rail-
roads as fix or establish any greater
toll or compensation than is herein.
before prescribed are declared to be
void"
Section 2 defines the meaning of
the term railroad. Section provides
that no such railroad corporation
shall increase its rates of toll or COM
pensation for the transportation of
passengers or for the receipt, hand
ling or delivery of any property
from any point along its line of road
to any other point along its line Of
road, by reason of any decrease in its
rates which may be required to be
made under the first section of this
act. And whenever such railroad
corporation, as lessee or otherwise,
operates any other railroad in con-
nection with its own road the provis-
ions of this act, as to the charges for
carrying freight or passengers, shall
apply to such other road so operated
in like manner as if the same were
part of the line of road owned by the
corporation operating the same, and
for such purpose all lines of railroad
operated by the same company shall
be considered as one and the same
road. Section 4 provides penalty
of 81 900 and costs Of suit for every
violation of the provisions of the act,
to be recovered in an action for debt
by the party aggrieved.
The bill is before the Judiciary
Committee. One of its objects is to
prevent the Determinations now
practiced against Cumberland. For
instance, the rate per 100 pounds fIom
Pittsburgh to Cumberland is from "a
to 81 cents from Pittsburg to Fred
erick, over a hundred miles further,
the charge is 1871 cents per OOpounds,
and the same rate to Staunton, still
further. The charge per barrel of
coal oil from Pittsburg to Cumber-
land is 1925; from Pittsburg to
Staunton, two-thirds of the distance
further, Sl.25. The provisions of the
bill are, in most respects, similar to
the West Virginia law, now control
ling the Baltimore and Ohio Road
through that State.