Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-15
RAILROAD REGULATORS.
Main Features of the Interstate Conn
merce Bill.

WASHINGTON. May l2.-The bill to regu
late commerce known as the Cullom bill
as amended and passed by the Senate pro
vides for committee OF five persons to be
appointed by the President by and with
the advice and consent of the Senate to
carry out the purpose OF the bill. The
principal office of the commission to be at
Washington. where the general sessions are
to be held, but special sessions may be
held elsewhere to suit the public convenit nee,
in which case the necessary expense incur
red is to be paid fr' m 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 hold
ing official relation to such corpora
tions, are declared ineligible for ap-
pointment, and the Commissioners mist
not 9, gage in any otter business The
Commission is gwen authority to inquire
into the business and management OF all
common carriers subject to the provisions
of the bill, and, to obtain full and complete
information as to such business, it may
require the attendance and testimony OF
witnesses and the production OF all books,
papers, agreements, tariffs and documents
relating to any matter under ilvestiga ion ,
and may, to that end, invoke the aid
of the United States Court. Persons
having complaints against any common
carrier of interstate commerce shall make
the complaint in writing to the Commis-
sion, and the Commission shall send the
complaint to the common carrier and re-
quire either satisfaction of the complaint
or an answer in writing within a reasonable
time, to be specified. If reparation is not
made within the time stated the Com
mission shall investigate all con :
plants forwarded to it by the State
Commission and it may institute inquiries
on it's owr motion. Complaints shall not
be dismissed because of the al sence OF
direct damage to the complainant. The
reports OF the Commission shall be in writ
ing and it's dec sions shall be made Drin1a
kacia evidence in oil judicial proceedings.
and when 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
equity the alleged violation and the Court
shall hear and determine the matter on
short notice and without the formal pro-
ceedings OF ordinary suits, but so as to do
Justice the Court may in proper cases issue
writs OF Injunction, or other process, man
datory or otherwise, to restrain viola
ton of the orders Of the Commission on
the part of the common carrier offending.
For such purpose the Circuit Court shall
he deemed always in session. The bill re-
ouires that all charges for any service in
transporting passengers or freight, or stor-
Ing goods by the common carriers snail De
reasonable. 1t prohibits all rebates and
drawbacks and all unjust discriminat'ons,
requiring that all persons shall be charged
and treated alike, for services rendered under
substantially similar circumstance and
conditions. Every common carrier subject
to the bill chall within forty days after it
becomes a law file with the commission
copies Of all its tariffs, of fares and freight
including it's classification and termal
charges, and shall make them public SO far
as the Commission may deem prac.
ticable No advance on such shall
be made without ten days public
notice. The Long and "Short" haul
clause being section 4 OF the bill reads as
follows: THAT it shall be unlawful for any
common carrier to charge or receive any
greater compensation in the aggregate for
transportation of passengers or OF like
class and quantity Of property subject to the
provisions OF this act for shorter than for a
longer distance over the same line in the
same direction and from the same original
point OF depar ure, or the same point oi
arrival; but this shall not be construed as
authorizing any common carrier, within
the terms OF the act to charge and receive
MS great a compensation for short as for
long distance; provided, however, that
upon application to the Commission ap-
pointed under The p, DIVISION OF this act.
such common carriers may, in special
cases, be authorized to charge les. for
longer than for shorter distances
for the transportation OF passengers or
property, and the Commission may, from
time to time, make general rules exempt.
ing such designated common carriers in
such special cases from the operation OF
this section of this act, and when such ex'
ceptions shall have been made and pub.
lished, they shall, until changed by the
Commission or by law, have like force and
effect as though the same had been specified
in this section. Any common carrier who
shall violate the provisions of this section
of this act, shall be deemed guilty of extor
tion and shall be liable to the person OF
persons against whom any such excessive
charges was made for all damages occas
ioned by such violation" The bill nov
goes to the House of Representatives fo1
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