The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-01-15
Passage Of The Interstate Commerce

Passage Of The Interstate Commerce
Bill.
BY a vote of 1913 to rs the House on
the 9th. passed the interstate commerce
bill. The bill may be more briefly dis
cribed as the Reagan bill, amended and
enlarged by additions in keeping with the
general spirit of TIE measure which Mr..
Reagan, of Texas, has for many years been
endeavoring to place upon the statute
book. BY its terms it is made unlawful
for persons engaged in the transportation
of property by railroad or pipe line across
State lines, or to or from any foreign
country, to charge more or less to one
person than is charged to any other for
like and contemporaneous service in the
carrying, receiving, delivering, storing or
handling of freight. All charges shall be
reasonable. A maximum passenger rate
of three cents per mile is prescribed, and
like treatment and accommodation are to be
accorded to all persons holding tickets of
the same class, and provided no discrim-
ination in regard to the facilities and ac-
commodations furnished, it shall be per-
missible to provide separate quarters for
persons of different races. Discrimination
in the carriage, receiving, storage or han
ding of freight is forbidden, and like ex-
petition is to be accorded to all shippers;
nor is it to be permitted to prevent the car
riage of freight from being continuous
from point of shipment to destina-
tion by Intentional brakes or stoppage,
with the purpose of evading the provisions
Of the act. Rebates, drawbacks and other
like provisions Of published rates are de-
clared unlawful, as also the pooling of
freights or the division of the aggregate
or net proceeds of competing roads. 1t is
also forbidden to charge or receive more
for the transportation of freight for a
shorter than for longer distance. Sched-
ules are required to be posted by persons
engaged in the carriage of property by rail,
or pipe line, stating plainly the class of
freight carried, the places between which
it is carried, the rates of freight between
such places and the charges for services
connected with the receipt storage, delivery
and handling of such freight. These sched-
ules are to be kept before the public at all
places where freight is received, and five
days. notice must be given of contemplated
changes of schedule, nor will it be lawful
to charge a rate for the carriage of freight
other than that specified in the posted
schedule. The act is to apply only to inter-
state and not to State commerce, and is
not to apply to transportation by river,
canals, or ordinary road wagons. The
person suffering loss or damage from a
violation of the act will have recourse to
any State or United States Court of COM
petent Jurisdiction, and if on account of
any forbidden act or omission to act on
the part of the railroad or pipe line he
wins his suit, he will receive as damages
sum equal to three times the amount of
the damage sustained. If the violation of
the act can be shown to have been willful
the court may allow to the party injured
additional costs sufficient to cover all his
counsel and attorney fees. Any person
engaged in the management of defend
ant railroad or pipe line may be required
to produce books and papers and to testify,
even if such evidence should tend to Grim
mate himself as participant in proceed
ing forbidden by the act. Circuit and dis.
trict courts of the United States are en-
powered to issue writs Of mandamus
against violators of the act at the request
of any person alleging undue and unjust
discrimination, and thus compel the carri-
er to move and transport freight or fur
nish facilities for transportation. In the
case of perishable freight peremptory man
damus may be issued, the complainant,
however, being required to give proper
security for the payment of freight charges.
The violation of the act is to be accounted
misdemtanor, and the person violating
it shall, on conviction. be fined not over
$1,000. The act does not apply to property
carried for the United States. Mr.. Reagan
had once the fortune of seeing his inter-
state commerce bill pass the House, but it
failed in the Senate. The Senate has at
present like bill of its own under con-
sideration, and it remains now to be seen
whether that body will substitute the
House bill for it's own measure.
The above constitutes an intelligent
synopsis of the bill, las substantially furnish
ed by the BALTIC. Sam. I'VE do not think it
were possible to embrace a greater amount
of unadulterated demagoguism in the
same space. The whole plan is impractl-
cable and unwise, and should it become
law could not be enforced. Under it's re-
strictions and exactions, the existing
railroads of the country would become
bankrupt in twelve months-all new en-
terprises would be abandoned, and the pro-
gress of the country arrested. Its pro-
visions apply to Interstate commerce,
and not to traffic confined to the limits of
the State. The result would be that the
railroads would either make up the losses
on through freight by increased charges
for local traffic or the State Legislatures
would have to pass laws in harmony with
the provisions of this congressional act
In the former case the local shippers would
be exposed to virtual confscation of their
produce, and in the latter it would simply
fix the doom of the railroads. The whole
bill is in conflict with the spirit and in
terests of the age, and no other body in
the civilized world but Democratic Con-
gress would ever have thought of enacting
such reactionary and ruinous measure
into law.
We cannot conceive it to be possible
that the Senate will concur with the
House. While restrictions may be neces-
sary on railroad enterprises, they should
be made in an enlightened spirit and with
a proper conception of the rights of both
capital and the people. The bill recog-
nizes neither. 1t IS hostile to both, and
If enacted, could not be enforced.
When Mr.. Seward was Secretary of
State, under Andrew Johnsen's admins
tration, he negotiated for the purchase
from Russia of territory known as Alas
ka. The price paid was $7,0O0,OOO. AT
the time the purchase was made, and for a
81 ..@ls,