The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-05-21
INTERSTATE coMMeRce.


SD ehost naal Ciasse.
WASHINGTON, May 14-The ''bin -
regulate commerce" kDown - the Cullom
bill - amended and posed BY tho Senate.
provides for commission OF Eve persons,
to Be appointed BY the President BY and
with the advice md consent OF the Senate,
to carry out the purpose Of the bill. The
principal ONCE Of the commission Is 70 b
Washington, where general sessions are to
b held, but special sessions may be held
elsewhere 70 suit the public convenience
In which the necessary expenses incurred
are to be paid BY the Treasury. Not more
that three Of the i've commissioners
shall b appointed from the same political
party. All persons holding stocks or bonds
Of any common carrier or holding official
relations to such corporations arc declared
Ineligible for appointment The commits
sion 10 given authority to inquire into the
business and management Of all common
carriers subject to the provisions of the bill.
ard to obtain full and complete Information
rs to such business Is may require the At
tendance and testimony Of witnesses aud
the production Of all books, papers, agree.
ments tariffs and documents relating to
any matter under investigation and may to
courts. Persons having complaints to make
against any common carrier lot interstate
cOmmerce) shall make complaint in
writing to the commission, which shall
send the complaint to the common carrier
and require either satisfaction OF the COM
plant or an answer In writing within Q
reasonable time specified. If reparation be
not made within the time stated the COM
mission shall investigate the complaint
The commission also shall investigate all
complaints forwarded to It by tho State
commissioners, and may institute inquiries
by Its motion. Complaints shall not be dis.
missed because of the absence Of direct
damage to the complainant The reports
OF the commission shall be in writing, and
it, findings shall bs deemed prima facie
evidence in oil judicial proceedings.
Whenever any common carrier shall re-
fuse 10 obey any lawful order of the COM
mission Il is made the duty of the commits
sion to apply to the United States Circuit
Court sitting in equity, alleging the viola
ton, and the courts shall hear and deter
mine the matter on short notice and with
out the formal proceedings Of ordinary
suits, but so ~ to do justice; and the courts
may In proper cases issue writs Of injunc-
ton or other process mandatory or other
wise to restrain further violation of the Or
ders Of the commission on the part Of the
common carrier offending. For such pur-
poses the circuit courts shall be deemed al
ways in session.
The bill requires that all charges for any
services In transporting passengers or
freight or storing goods by common carriers
shall he reasonable. It prohibits all rebates
and drawbacks and all unjust discrimina-
hnt hall ha
sharged and treated alike for services rem
dered and under substantially similar cir.
cumstances and conditions
Every common carrier subject to the bill
shall within sixty days after IL becomes a
law file with the commission copies of all
its tariffs of fares and freight, including its
Classification and terminal charges, and
shalt make them public 10 far as the com.
mission may deem practicable. No advance
on such public rates shall be made without
ten days public notice.
The long and short haur' clause reads
a. follows: That It shall be unlawful for
any common carrier to charge or receive
greater compensation in the aggregate for
the transportation of passengers or of the
like class and quantity of property subject
to the provisions Of this act for shorter than
for longer distance over the same line, in
the same direction and from the same origi-
nal point of departure, or 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 rs
great compensation for shorter Is for a
longer distance; provided. however, that
upon application to the commissioner ap-
pointed under the provisions of this act,
such common carriers may, in special cases,
be authorized to charge less for longer than
for shorter distances for the trans.
portation ut passengers or of property, and
the commission may, from time to time,
make general rules exempiing such desig.
mated common carrier in such special cases
from the operation of this act. and when
such exceptions shall have been made and
published, they shall until changed by the
commission or BY law, have like force and
effect az though the same had been speci-
fed in This aecfiOn ~