St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-13
BILL REGULATING COMMERCE.
General Provisions Of the CulIOm
Measure.

General Provisions Of the CulIOm
Measure.
WASHINGTON, May 12.-The bill to reg
ulate commerce known as the Cullom bill.
as amended and passed by the senate, pro-
yides:
For a commission of five persons, to be ap-
pointed by the president by and with the ad-
vice and consent of the senate, to carry out
the purpose of the bill. The principal office
of the commission is TO be at Washington,
where general sessions are to be held, but
special sessions may be held elsewhere to suit
the public convenience, in which case the
necessary expenses incurred are to be paid
from the treasury. Not more than three of
the five commissioners shall be appointed
from the same political party. All
persons holding stocks or bonds of any
common carrier or holding official relations
to such corporations, are declared ineligible
for appointment. The commissioners must
not engage in any other business. The COM
mission is given authority TO inquire into the
business and management of all common car
riers, subject to the provisions of the BILL and
to obtain full and complete information as to
such business; may require the attendance
and testimony Of witnesses and the produc-
ton OF books, papers, agreements, tariffs and
documents relating to any matter under in
vestigation, and may to that end invoke the
end Of the United States courts. Persons
mon carrier (of interstate commerce) shall
make complaint in writing to the commission,
the commission shall send the complaint to
common carrier and require either satisfac-
ton of the complaint or an answer in writing
within
A REASONABLE TIME SPECIFIED.
If reparaton is not made within the time
stated the commission shall investigate the
complaint. The commission shall also inveS-
tigate all complaints forwarded to it by the
state commissions, and may institute in
QuirieS on its own motion. Complaints shall
not be dismissed because of the absence Of
direct damage to the complainant. The re-
ports Of the commission shall be in writing
and its findings shall be deemed prima facia
evidence in all judicial proceedings. When
| ever any common carrier shall refuse to obey
any lawful order of the commission, it is
| made the duty of the commission to apply to
| the United States Circuit Court sitting in
| equity, alleging the violation and the court
| shall hear and determine the matter, on short
| notice, and without the formal proceedings
| of ordinary suits, but so as to justice, and
| the court may in proper cases issue writs
of injunction, Or other process, mandatory
! or otherwise to restrain further violation
of the orders of the commission on the part
| of the common carrier offending. For such
purposes the circuit courts shall be deemed
| always in session. The bill requires that all
charges for any service in Transporting
passengers or freight, or storing goods by
! common carriers shall be reasonable. 1t pro-
hibitS all rebates and drawbacks, and
ALL UNJUST DISCRIMINATION,
requiring that all persons shall be charged
and treated alike for services rendered under
substantially similar circumstances and con-
ditions. Every common carrier subject to
the bill WILL within sixty days after it becomes
q law file with the commission copies of all
its tariffs of fares and freight, including its
classification and terminal charge, and shall
make them public so far as the commission
may deem practicable. No advance on such
published rates shall be made without ten
days public notice. The ''long and short haul
clause being section of the bill, reads as
follows:
That it shall be nlawful for any common
carrier to charge or receive any greater CON-
pensation in the aggregate for the Transports
| ton of passengers, or of the like class and
quantity of property subject to the provisions
| of the provisions of this act for shorter or
| longer distance over the same line in the same
| direction and for the same original point of
| departure, or TO the same point of arrival,
| but this shall not be construed as authorizing
| any common carrier within the terms of this
| act to charge and receive as great compenSa-
ton for a shorter as n longer distance, pro-
vided, however, that upon application to the
| commissioner appointed under the provisions
| OF this act, such common carrier may, in
| special case, be authorized to charge less for
| LONGER THAN SHORTER DISTANCES
| for the transportation of passengers or prop
| erty; and the commission may from time tC
| time make general rules eXcmpting such des-
| ignated common carrier in such special cases
| from the operation of this act, and when such
| exemption shall have been made and pub.
lished, they shall, until changed by the com
mission, or by law, have like force and effect
though the same had been specified in this
section. Any common carrier who shall
| viOlatp the provisions of this section of the
act shall be deemed guilty Of violation and
Shall be liable to the person or persons against
whom any such excessive charge was made
for all damages occasioned by such violation
| The bill now goes to the house of representa-,
! tiveS for concurrence.