The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-01-24

THE INTER . STATE COMMERCE
BILL.
The Reagan Interstate Commerce
Bill was taken UP in the United
States Senate day before yesterday.
The provisions of the bill have at
tracted a great deal of attention
throughout the country, and will
doubtless create considerable dis
custom In the Senate. Should it
ii nally become . law, it will apply
only to interstate commerce, and
not 10 State commerce.. MI. Reagan
has been working at the measure. for
many years, but it is not likely the
Senate will agree to t.w;thout I'M
portant notifications, although its
inherent strength Is shown in. the
large majority. it received upon its
passage in the House.
At this ~juncture a brief synopsis of
the bill may not be out of place.
The first section declares it tn. BE-
unlawful for any person or persons
Including. corporations) to charge or
r eceive Tess compensation from one
person or set of persons than is.
charged to or received from any
other person or set of persons for
like and contemporaneous service for
carrying, delivering, storing or hand:
ling property when it is to be trans
ported from one State or Territory to
or. through another, or through any
of them to or from any foreign conn
try. Tie charges for all such services
are required to be " reasonable" The
second section forbids rebates CT
drawbacks in any form. The third
prohibits contracts for pooling
The fourth makes it unlawful to
charge more for. hauling goods. fora
shorter distance than for q longer
distance for any similar amount and
kind of property, OF for receiving,
storing or handling the same.
Section 5 requires all pers ms en-
gagged in. the transportation of prop
erty from n State or Territory to
another to adopt and keep posted UP
schedules which shall plainly state
the different kinds ana classes of
property to be carried; the different
places bet ween which such property
shall be carried; the rates of freight
and prices of carriage between such
places, and for all services connected
with the receiving, delivery, loading,
unloading, storage or handling the
same. The sixth section is explana-
tory, and particularly as to what is
called lone continuous carriage"
Section Z provides penalty in DANA
ges in favor of any shipper injured
by violation of the above, the penal |
damage 10 he three times the amount
of the actual damage, with additional
costs if the violation is found to be
wilful. Section 8 provides penalty,
criminal prosecution, by fine of
not less than one thousand dollars
for wilful violation of the act. The
10th section declares that the act
shall not apply to transportation
that is wholly within q State.
The final section (ll) simply defines
what is meant by the words person
or persons" wherever they occur in
the bill. 49,
Several amendments were adopted
the bill was pending in the
House. The most important Of these
discrimination as to passen-
gers who hold first-class tickets, de
probably, to meet the cases of
persons who might be ex-
from certain cars. Another
made the bill applicable
% oil-pipe lines A maximum passen-
ger rate of three cents per mile is
prescribed. Rebates. drawbacks aud
all discounts on published rates
ire forbidden, a. we'll as the pooling
rates for. freight or the division of
he aggregate net proceeds of COM
roads. It is also forbidden to
more per mile for the trans
jortation of freight for a shorter
han a longer distance.
Persons suffering loss or damage
rom a violation OF any of the pro-
of the act may recover either 4
n state or federal courts. A viola I
ion of the act incurs a penalty of
1000. The senate has q bill of the I
anne general tenor pending, but diff.
ering considerably in some of the de- I
ails. The Reagan act il regarded J
8 one Of the most important before I
ongress this session. 1t is possible
hat a conference committee will vet Y
dust the differences between the t
wo houses so that the modified Rea- q
bill will become a law. T
Kansas takes no stock in the
Cattle Trail" The State
7i'l instruct her Senators and re-