Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-05-25
PATRONS OF uUsBANDRy.
MORTIMER WHITEHEAD.

MORTIMER WHITEHEAD.
1t is at present generally admit
ted that more than all other
causes combined, the farmers of the
United States in their organized ca
pacity in the Grange brought about
the legislation, both State and Nation
al, that is commencing to hold in
check the great railway corporations
in their abuse of the power conferred
upon them by the people. First came
the Grange decisions" of the United
States Supreme Court, and followed
in the last Congress by the passage OF
the Interstate Commerce law that has
now been upon trial about a year 1t
takes intelligent, united work on the
part of the people TO secure good laws,
and it requires watchful care to keep
the laws after they are passed. "Eter-
nal vigilance" applies here. The vic
torious soldier must not sleep upon
the field of honor, or his triumph may
turn to final defeat. As has been fore
Swallowed during all the twelve months
of its trial, amendments TO the Inter
state Commerce law are now before
Congress, and will soon be acted upon.
Will they make the law better, or will
they lessen its usefulness?
As far as we can at present judge,
the amendments to the Interstate
Commerce law seem TO be in line with
the spirit of the law itself, and to make
il more rather than less effective. We
will present them here, and as the
original law itself was so generally
discussed by Oranges all over the
country, il would seem right and prop
er that Patrons should carefully study
these proposed amendments, seek to
understand them thoroughly, and
then act accordingly.
The Senate Committee on Interstate
Commerce has completed and Senator
Cullom has introduced the following
series of amendments to the Interstate
Commerce Act: These amendments re
uuire that the printed schedules OF
rates shall be kept open 10 public in
spection" and accessible to the pub
lie; that reduction to the published
rates shall only be made after three
DAYS public notice, instead of without
previous notice, as at present, and
that the provisions in regard to ad-
vances and reductions in rates shall
apply to joint tariffs made by connect
ing roads, as well as 10 the tariffs made
by individual roads. 1t is proposed
TO amend the criminal penalty section
by making those convicted of violat
ing the act liable TO imprisonment for
not exceeding two years, in addition
TO the fine already provided for, or
both fine and imprisonment, when the
ofTense is an unlawful discrimination
in rates for the transportation Of pas
sengers or property.
The committee proposes three pro
visions in regard to ''underbilling:"
First-that the officers, agents or EN-
ployees of a railroad, who, by means
of false billing, false classification,
false weighing or false report of
weight, or by any other device or
means, knowingly or willfully suffer
or permit any person TO obtain trans
portation at less than the established
rates shall be deemed guilty OF mis-
demeanor. and shall be subject TO a
fine of not exceeding $4,000, or impris-
onment for not exceeding two years,
or both.
The second is that any person or the
officer or agent of any corporation
who delivers property for transporta-
ton to any common carrier subject to
the provisions of the act, or for whom
as consignor or consignee such CARR
er shall transport property, who shall
knowingly and willfully by false bill
ing, false classification, false weighing
or false report of weight or by any
or without the consent or connivance
of the railroad or its agents, obtain
transportation for property at less
than the established rates, shall be
deemed guilty of fraud, which is de-
clared to be misdemeanor, and shall
be subject to fine of not exceeding
$4,000, or imprisonment for not ex-
ceeding two years, or both.
The third provision makes subject to
the same penalties any person who by
the payment of money, etc, or by so
licitation shall induce any railroad or
any Of its officers or agents to discrlm-
mate unjustly in his favor as against
any other consignor or cOnsignee in
the transportation of property, and
also makes such persons liable with
such railroad in an action on the case
TO be brought by any consignor or
consignee Disseminated against for
all damages resulting therefrom.
The only other amendments of gen
eral interest proposed are: one, to
permit railroads to carry free desti-
tute and homeless persons transport
ed by charitable societies; and anoth-
er, to permit railroads to give reduced
rates to municipal government for the
transportation of INDECENT persons.