Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-19

MIR. CULLOM REPORTS THE BILL
TO THE SENATE.

I
TO THE SENATE.
Liberal Appropriations for waterways
Advocated ON the Ground That They
are Salutary Cheek on ExOrbitant
CharGes-Th Hennepin Canal Favored
-COmmtssiOn History Reviewed ut
Great Length.
1 WASHINGTON, Jan. 1S.--ln the Senate
to-day among the reports submitted from
the committees was one by MIR. Cullom,
1 from the committee appointed to invest-
gate the subject of the regulation Of
! freight and passenger rates on railroad
and water routes. With the report Mr..
/ CullOm submitted a bill regulating inter-
State commerce, which he asked might he
referred back to the committee. ana that
the committee be continued. The request
was granted and resolution was passed
ordering printed 5000 copies OF the com
mittee's report and the testimony taken
before it.
The following is brief synopsis Of the
bill: After specifying the classes of car
rieTs, or rather kinds of traffic, TO which
the regulations prescribed are to apply,
| and declaring that all charges made by
| such carriers shall be reasonable the pre-
lminarv sections aim 20 prohibit every
variety OF unjust discrimination, to pre-
scribe adequate penalties therefor and to
provide for the enforcement thereof in the
courts of the United States. These sec
tlons include requirement that all car
rlers shall afford reasonable facilities tor
the Interchange of traffic with connecting
lines and the prohibition of greater
charge for shorter than for longer distance
except when it can be atfirmatiyely estab-
lished by the carrier that such charge
does not constitute an unjust discrimina-
tion.
FILING TARIFFS.
Another section requires all carriers
subject to the provisions of tue proposed
act TO file their tariffs and classIhcatiOns
with the Interstate commerce commits
sion, and provides that they shall be post
| ed or otherwise published, but leaves to
be determined by the commission the
manner OF publication and the places at
and between which the rates shall be
published. Provision is made for entorc-
ing the requirements of the commission in
these respects through courts, and for the
maintenance OF the rates that may be thus
published,
A provision is also made FOR the ap-
pontment by the President of five com
missiOners to be confirmed by the Senate,
and several sections are devoted to pre-
scribing the duties of the commissioners
and the manner in which complaints are
to be Investigated and prosecutions instl-
tuted under its direction. When found
necessary under these sections 1t is pro-
posed to give the cOmmis ssion full power
to obtain all the information necessary 10
the performance of its duties, to cOnsti-
tute it board Of arbitration for the adjjl-
dicatiOn of such difference between ship
pers and carriers as can be amicably sell
tied through its Intervention, to make Its
findings of tact prlD50 Jacle evidence in all
legal proceedings, and to provide for the
prompt enforcement Of its recommends
ti0ns through the courts il resort TO them
should become necessary.
The report Of the committee accom-
panying the bill forms a printed volume
of 2l6 pages.
PAST LEGISLATION REVIEWED.
1t describes the various methods pro-
posed for railroad regulation and deals al
length with the course of railroad leglsla-
| ton in England, and the workings Of the
English commission. 1t summaries the
provisions OF the statutes OF the several
States of the Union relating TO railroad
regulation and sets forth at considerable
length the results Of the WORKINGS OF he
State commissions. The returns of tue
leading lines are tabulated, TO show the
division of business among them and the
comparative volume of Stale and inter-
State traffic.
WATERWAYS AS REGULATORS.
The subject OF competition between
waterways and railroads rs discussed
briefly, and the conclusion is reached
that the waterways are tine most effective
regulators OF railway charges, and eman-
cipatiOn Of the waters is a national neces-
sty. The Improvement OF the Mississ ppi
and its tributaries Is briefly alluded 10
and warmly indoreed. OF the nennepin
canal the committee says that the com
merce OF the nation would derive fresh and
continued advantages from the cOu-
stvuctiOn of this canal. Cheap
transportation between Chicago and
seaboards, the report says, is
assured by line Of free water cOmmuni-
cation open through the great lakes, Erie
canal and Hudson, and no method has
been suggested by which the controlling
influence OF that water competition could
be extended over so wide, populOus and
productive a territory at 50 moderate an
expense as by constructing this short
canal Of "a miles, which would give the
people Of the upper Mississippi states di-
rect water transit connection with all tho
States oil the Atlantic seabOard and with
Europe.
NECESSITY FOR THE CANAL,
The necessity OF this Improvement is
made more urgent by the high and Op-
pressfve rates Of freight prevailing be-
tween the grain producing states Of the
Northwest and Chicago. a. compared
with the charges made between that point
and the Atlantic coast. by The cOnstruc-
tion of this canal the Vialu producing
states would be given tbat cheap transit
when has now become necessary TO en-
able them 90 successfully place their sur
plus products In foreign markets.
The salary Of each commissioner is
fixed at $1,000 per anruu. The commits
sionors hrst appointed ate 40 continue In
office flr Inc term 90 ., 3. q. and o Years
respectively, beginning July ! next, not
lnoie tnau three Of WHOM shall be- ap-
pointed from the same political party.
IN SENATE AND HOUSE.