The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-07-16
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.

C0nDressnan Rea0a,Is Opinton of His
Pet Schense-He Val Press tt for Pas
sage at the Meet Session.
Congressman Reagan, in an interview was
asked:
"What do you intend to do with your
Interstate commerce bill?''
III shall bring it up for PASSAGE he re-
Piled, las early as practicable next session.
There was no opportunity during the extra
session just closed to do anything with it,
but I'll bring it forward next winter, and I
am satisfied that it will receive favorable
consideration at the hands of the present
Senate committee on commerce. The SEN
ate would have passed it last winter if the
committee had reported it.
Reporter-ls the bill you recently intro
duced the same as the one of last session?
Mr.. Reagan-Yes, about the same. There
are no material changes.
Rep What does it provide?
MIR. R.-It contains four important pro;
visions. 1t requires, under heavy penalties,
that there shall be no discrimination in
rates and charges in freights and handling
of them, and, as corollary to that, that
there shall not be any drawbacks or rebates
OF any kind or character allowed in any case.
1t also prohibits pooling of freights between
lines that would otherwise come into compe-
tition with each other. Now a very i'm
portant provision is one which prohibits q
railroad from charging more for transport
ing car load of freight q short distance
than for long distance on the same haul.
A car load is the limit. Understand me, the
road may charge just as much for hauling a
car load of freight half the length of it's
route as for the whole length, but it is for
hidden to charge more. The expense of
handling Is the same for short distance,
and that is taken into consideration; but un-
der this law excessive charges for short
hauls cannot be made. With rates now OK
listing, there is an enormous disproportion
between short and long hauls, and charges
for the latter are extortionate. Railroads
are also required to put up their rates con-
spicuously, and to live up to them exactly
until they are changed. Now this bill pro-
vides certain and efficient machinery for
enforcing its provisions in the courts, and
thst is why the opposition is so persistent. If
loosely drawn, so that railroads
could escape penalties in the courts, there
would be no opposition to it, but its prov1s-
ions cannot be escaped or evaded. Means
are provided for the discovery of violations
of the law, and for their punishment, and
railroads can be compelled to produce their
books in court if that should be deemed nee
esssry.
The railroads will continue to fight
the bill, won't they?
Mr.. R.-Oh yes, no doubt of that, sup
pose; but they do not meet the matter on its
merits at all. Their chief argument against
the bill has been that it SEEMS to establish
rates of freight, and that nobody but experts
can perform that work. Now, that is no
correct. We do not attempt to make rates,
but leave that to the railroads themselves.
We strike at four great monopoly features,
and the people are entitled to this relief at
the hands of Congress. We do not propose
to embarrass railroads at all-that is not the
purpose of the bill.
This bill regulating interstate commerce
was introduced in the House of the last Con-
gress by Mr.. Reagan, and passed by large
majority. 1t was referred to the commerce
committee by the Senate, and Mr.. Conkling,
then the chairman, ''sat down. upon it with
all his weight.