The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1886-01-20
F A AT THE CAPITAL
What Will be Done in Both
Houses Tomorrow.
WORK
Exhaustive Arguments Submitted to
the Interstate Railroad Trans
portation Committee.

SOAA4A4tU00. ~
WASHINGTON, January 1.-THE pas,
week having been devoted by the Senate
largely to speech-making and executive
business, the calendar remains almost az
it was at the beginning of the week. with
respect to the measure OF general leglsla'
ton. The Judicial Salary bill is unfinished
business; the Dakota bill, Bankruptcy bill
and Electoral Count bill, are to be brought
forward for debate and action, as soon az
possible, and an understanding will probably
be reached on Monday or Tuesday by the
Senators respectively in charge of these
measures, as to the order in which theyshall
be taken up. Senator Harrison's resolution
looking to an inquiry into certain state
ments of the Commissioner of Pensions re.
garding the official acts OF his predecessors,
and Senator Voorhees, substitute for it,
are still pending. Senator Eustis has given
notices of his intention to deliver a speech
OF Tuesday upon his resolution to pay in
silver bonds that have been called for re-
demption on the LIST of February. This
resolution, with Mr.. Beck's substitute for
it, is still in the hands of the Finance Com
mittee, with no probability OF receiving
early action.
Senator Cullom's select committee on
Interstate Railroad Transportation will
probably report to the Senate tomorrow
or Tuesday an original Interstate Com
merce bill, and at the same time submit an
exhaustive report in it's support of the
committees which spent a good part of the
summer in investigations. They have been
holding daily sessions since the assembling
of Congress. In addition to two or three
volumes of oral testimony, which the COM
mittee has taken in it's pursuit for informa-
ton upon the subject, is an appendix con-
tanning q number of interesting papers from
leading authorities. It has been printed
for the use of the committee and will he
made public with their report.
John B. Kirnan, Chairman of the New
York Railroad Commission, contributes
a statement supplemental to the views he
expressed orally to the Committee. He
deals, first with the history of the contest
between the railroads and it's patrons, in
the presence of which history, he says,
many crude ideas rs to the usefulness
and p~racticability of a rate fixing penal
legislation, pro rata laws, maximum and
minimum rate laws, ETC.. disappear. and it
becomes clear that the proposed legislation
must be.broader in it's aims and less dis
turbing in it's action than that heretofore
at times much in vogue. The low through
rates of to-day, he says, pointed out by
the railroads as the reason why no legisla-
ton is needed, have little TO do with the
question. There are phases OF universal
depression intensified by reckless and need
less railroad construction. Railroads
or later become public burdens.
They are neither efficiently maintained nor
operated, nor do they permit competitors
fulfill their public obligations. Congress
cannot apply the remedy chiefly needed.
The State whose railroads are already
in number and extent for public
use at fair rates Can and ought to enact
First, that no new roads should be char
tered unless as public necessity for the line
is found to exist, q in Massachusetts,, and
recommended by the New York Railroad
in the legislature. Second.
that at least SO per cent OF the stock be
paid in before the domain is exercised or
construction begun, and that the issue OF
bonds shall have been fair in relation
to stock issued and paid IN.
1t is at local non-competitive points that
exists, and where pro rata for the
is needed other than that afforded
by uncontrolled arbitration of the carrier.
The popularity OF the present situation is
that the railroad and it's management act
as a Judge and jury, and the shipper is
out OF a clear right OF having the
question between himself and carrier fairly
by an impartial arbiter. The
legalizing of pools is considered objection
able. Mr.. Herman advocates the creation
a National Commission, v hose findings
upon all questions OF fact should
be accepted in all courts al: prima
facie. 1t is true such findings, he declares
are one thing needful to make the courts
available to carriers and shippers, as
each other. The Board OF Rail-
road Commissioners of Kansas contribute
to this volume a paper which expresses the
that a National Commission
be established, vested with certain
supervisory powers, on the subject OF inter
state commerce. These powers should be
not to the management of the business OF
commerce. It would, the
. thinks. serve no useful
or practical purpose to give
such Commission power to establish
the maximum rates for either passenger or
freight traffic over interstate railways, the
being too large and intricate to be
fntelligently dealt with by a single body OF
men, ever though composed OF men trained
in the study OF the business of railroad
affairs. There are, the Board says, two
ofinter-state traffic over railroad
between interior points and the
sea board, and the other across Stats
lines, but still local. 1t is obvious that the
rates adopted for one class would furnish
criterion or base of rates for the other.
The great cereal crops raised in the Mis-
sissippi valley and the meat products in the
duction of which the country is vitality
interested, can only be maintained by a
system of rates for their transportation to
the sea-boards, which, while they involve
no absolute loss, would, if the same rates
we're obligatory upon them as to all traffic
over their lines, consign every road
business into bankruptcy. To devise a
system of maximum rates covering every
Of interstate traffic, on the basis OF
rates for long hauls from the extreme Weet
to the East, would ~paralyze every railroad
in business. On the other
hand, to equalize the rates be.
long and short hauls,
would, if railroad property is to be pre-
and it's efficiency maintained, adj
vance the rates on great distances to such
an extent as to put an embargo upon the
OF cereal crops OF the extreme
would be little less disastrous to the East
than to the West. While the power to es-
maximum rates to govern inter-
state traffic would not therefore be wisely
or usefully employed by the National Rail-
road Commission, such body might USE
FULLY exercise the function of en-
pertaining complaints from shippers
Of undue or unreasonable charges
the part of Railroad Companies, and
Judge as to the reasonableness or other
wise OF the charges complained Of. In this
way a prima facie case might be made for
the courts. Complaints OF an alleged ex-
and OF unjust determinations
be investigated in like msnner, and
where the evils of the classes named were
to exist and remained uncorrected,
an adequate and appropriate remedy could
be evolved through the courts. Nearly all
the causes of complaint on the part sf
shippers arising in business transportation
usefully be committed to investi-
and correction. The Commission
and Board feel safe in expressing
the opinion, based upon the experience OF
State Co nmissioners, that cases would
arise in which the coercive power
have to be invoked to make the cor
rection effectual. The Board discusses the
OF maintaining uniformity and
stability of rates, and the evils which result
from secret concessions to particular indi-
viduals or communities. The Board thinks
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