National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-01-18
1NTEnsrArr coMMrRcE.
Some of the Evidence Upon which the
Forthcoming Select Committee RE-
port WIN be nnsed.

Forthcoming Select Committee RE-
port VIII be Based.
Senator Culon's select committee on inter
state railroad transportation will probably re-
port to tho Senate to day or tomorrow an orlgi'
nal interstate commerce bill, aud at the same
time submit an exhaustive report In its sup.
port.
The committee which spent q good part of
the summer in its investigations, has been
holding daily sessions since the Assembling Of
Congress. In addition 10 the two or three
volumes OF oral testimony which the commit
tee has taken IN Its pursuit Of information
upon the sui Ct, an appendix containing
number OF interesting papers from leading au-
thorities has been printed for the use OF the
committee, and Will 10 made public with the
report.
THE NEW YORK RAILROAD COMMISSION.
John d. KEENAN,, chairman Of the New York
railroad commission, contributes statement
supplemental 10 the Views he expressed orally
10 the committee. lie deals first with the his.
tory of the contest between the railroads and
Its patrons, in the presence of which history he
rays many crude ideas ms to tho usefulness aud
practicahii,y OF rate fixing, penal legislation,
pro rata laws, maximum aud minimum rate
laws, 30, disappear and II becomes clear that
proposed legislation must be bro idur in It's
aims and less disturbing in It's action than that
heretofore ut times much in vogue. Tho low
through rates of today he says pointed out
needed have iite T 10 do ' i Win tRe
question. They are phase of universal
depression, intensified by reckless and need
less railroad construction Unnecessary rail-
roads, sooner or later, become public burdens;
they are neither efficiently maintained nor
operated, nor do they permit competitors to
fulhll their public obligations. Congress can
not apply the remedy chiefly needed. The
STATE whose railroads are already sufficient IN
number ana extent for public use ut fair rates
can and ought TO enact
J.. That no new roads should be chartered
unless unless upon ne part Of me state, q public
ne sNN,NN sfNEsI Loo
New YORK railroad commission to the leglsa-
ture,
Q. That at least 80 per cent. orthc stock be
paid In before eminent domain is exercised or
construction began, and that the issue OF bonds
shall bear fair relation to the stock Issued
and paid In.
II Is at the local non.com petitiyo points
Mr.. Kennen says, that friction exists, ana
where protection for the shipper Is needed,
other than that afforded by, the uncontrolled
arbitration of the carrier The popularity of
the present situation s that the railroad and
its management act as Judge and Jury, and the
he dneston bStwec bjmsair nHd , St nar
Tier fairly determined by an impartial arblter.
Mr.. Kennan discussed at length the legal.
izing OF pools, which ho thinks Objectionable,
the publication Of tariffs, and other branches
of the subject. lie advocates the creation of
o. national commission whose findings upon
all questit ms of fact should be accepted in all
courts as prima iacio true. Such findings, he
declares, are the one thing needtul to make
the courts available 10 carriers and shippers
commission ought To consist of no less than
five members two at least of whom should
have hi d railroad experience.
THE KANSAS RAILROAD BOARD.
The board Of railroad commissioners of Kan
sas contributes to this volume paper which
expresses the opinion that national commits.
sion should be established, vested with certain
supervisory powers over the subject OF inter-
state commerce These powers should be con-
fined to the function OF regulation, and not to
the management of the business of interstate
commerce. II would, the board thinks, serve
no useful or practical purpose 70 give to such a
commission the power TO establish maximum
rates for either passenger or freight traffic over
interstate railways the subject being too large
and intricate 70 be intelligently dealt with by
single body of men, even though composed of
men trained in the study and business of rail-
road affairs There are; the board says two
classes OF interstate traffic over railroad lines
one between interior points and the seaboard
and the other across state lines, but still local.
u is obvious that the rates adopted for the one
class would furnish no criterion or basis of
rates for the other
The great cereal crops raised in the Missis.
sippi valley and the meat products In the trans.
mississippi, in the continued production of
which the country Is vitality interestei can
only be maintained by a system of rates for
While hey NO 20 absonts S%t fa Mhneh
small margin of profit, would, iftho same rates
were obligatory upon them as to all traffic car
ried over their lines, conslgn every road en-
gagged in the business into absolute bank
ruptcy.
To devise q system OF maximum rates. cover.
ing every species OF interstate traffic on the
basis OF rates for long hauls from the extreme
west 10 the cast, would paralyze every railroad
engaged in the business
betv cen long and.short hauls. 81 e., to Introduce
: n proportiontte equality In the rates between
s9c2l and continental interstate traffic would.
iIIrlIoad properly Is 10 be preserved and Its
sulciefcy n 6liltained, advance the rates on
peat distances toSuch extent MS to put an en-
,bargo upon the movement of the cereal Icrops
4 nj NJ fran fiusig "A
region, a result which would be little less dis
astsous to the east than to the west>a
While the power to establish maximum rates
TO govern in erstate traffic could not there
fore, be Wisely or usefully employed by a
national railroad commission, such body
might usehly exercise the function of enter
tanning complaints from shippers OF undue or
unreasonable charges on the part OF railroad
companies and Judge as to the Teasonableness
or otherwise OF the charges complained OF. In
this way theprlma facie might be made for the
courts.
Complaints of alleged extorton and of un-
just discrimination might be investigated in
like manner and where evils of the classes
named were found to exist. and remained I'M
corrected in accordance with the Judgment of
remedy could be invoked through Tic Courts,
the remedy being greatly facilitated and rem
dered practicable by the previous investigation
of the commission. Nearly all causes of COM
plant ON tho part of shippers, arising in the
business Of transportation, except those where
unllqutdated damages are involved, might
Srn,y :" t y w. sho w, nnd
Senis W ~ vi sv mn niH uno DOar
,he one,innca az ssa,e Dpsvu
Youid sedon oyiss IN hrh noeri ,ay
wo,,Id bano ~ ~ 10y i ~, M,on VoeivNe poWe'
,octinn n1,.o,,,o, o' i"''Aeu W in"Ao Vhe oof'
r hoasS StHc,,vsos ,h ,oo-,onoo r ,.,,
toining ,,niGorit ond stnijIitv nf re az ana
,hn s,ho ,shioh rasy,lt 800 saos3, Va nu
made ~ m rticuiar individuaIs or conomnnjtjns
The bosrd thinrs that 40 yInient anniuatinns 81
iates cnnsennent IN rate ,yars IesnIt ,snaIiv IN
hene6is 10 tha fe,v ~ the ,,itimnta axransy, 81
manv con,rects nr asreowents he,vean ri,, oi
mSan,ns 10 carr,, on inta s,et ~, hn,ih
he shm,,ie5 ~ on o,a' estnhISbn1 ha