Wichita eagle., 1889-03-12
THE AMENDED INTERSTATE Law.

!, The interstate commerce commission
has issued the following important cir
cular pertaining to the interstate com
merce act of March 2, 1889:
The attention of carriers is called t.
the act of congress entitled San Act t.
The interstate commerce commission
has caused the interstate commerce Law
as thus amended to be printed for gen
eral distribution, and will furnish copie
on application by mail or otherwise.
Section 6 of the act, as 1T now stands
contains the following provisions in re
spect to joint tariffs: s'No advance shall
be made in joint rates, fares and charge:
shown upon joint tariffs except after ten
days notice to the commission, which
shall plainly state the changes proposed
to be made in the schedule then In force
and the time when the decreased rates
fares or charges will go into effect.
No reduction shall be made in joint
rates fares and charges, except upon
three days notice to be given by the COM
mission as is above provided in the case
of an advance of joint rates.
The commission may make public such
proposed advances, or such reductions in
such manner, as may, in its judg-
ment, be deemed practicable
and may prescribe from time to time the
measure of publicity which common car
riers shall give to advances or reductions
in joint tariffs.
1t will be observed that an advance in
rates shown upon joint tariffs is forbid
! den except after ten days notice to the
commission" and a reduction in such
rates is also forbidden except after
three days notice to be given to the COM
mission" The time in each case is to be
computed from the day when the notice
of advance or of reduction reaches the
office of the commission in Washington.
The transportation of passengers or
freight over continuous lines or routes
operated by more than one carrier, upon
throuh tickets or through billing, neces-
sarily implies the existence Of joint tar
ifs. All joint tariffs now filed in the Of
fee Of the commission will be understood
as remaining in force until due notice of
advance or reduction is given. When
no other tariff is filed the rates on joint
traffic are understood to be the sum of
the total rates of the individual roads.
An order will at once be made pre-
scribing that all future advances and re-
auctions in joint tariffs shall be given
the same publicity which is required in
the case of tariffs of individual carriers.
Until such advances or reductions are
notified to the commission and made
public, existing joint tariffs, as above de-
fined, must be observed.
The amendment further provides as
follows: sit shall be unlawful for any
common carrier, party to any joint tar
if, to charge, demand, collect or receive
from any person or persons, a greater or
less compensation for the transportation
of persons or property, or for any service
in connection Herewith, between any
points as to which joint rate, fare or
charge is named thereon than is speci-
fed in the schedule fled with the COM
mission in force at the time"
1t is, therefore, now an indictable Of
tense for any carrier to participate i'll the
reception of compensation above or be-
low the established rate for the transpOr-
tation of any joint traffic whatsoever.
This provision operates to prevent dis
elimination Of shippers, and in case Of
its violation, proof can readily be made.
Another provision requires the commits
sion to sexecute and enforce the provis-
ions of the act, and makes it the duty of
any district attorney of the United States,
upon the request Of the commission, TO
institute and prosecute all necessary pro-
ceedings for that purpose.
The rule heretofore existing which re-
Quires three days public notice of any
advance in the rates established by indi-
viGual carriers is enlarged by adding the
following provision: Reductions in
such published rates, fares or charges
shall only be made after three days |
public notice, to be given In the same |
manner that notice of an advance of |
rates must be given.
The effect of the amendment is to |
place joint tariffs and Individual tariffs |
under substantially the same rules. |
Neither can then be reduced without |
three days public notice, or advanced |
without ten days public notice, and the |
must also be notified of all |
changes; individual and /
joint tariffs alike must be observed in |
their integrity, and all interstate traffic |
is necessarily accepted under either an !
individual or joint tariff.
In reference to the application Of these
provisions of the law to export traffic, |
the commission understands that the
tariffs now on file in this office estab-
lished by carriers accepting merchandise
billed or intended for export by sea show t
the rate charged by the inland carrier or
carriers to the point of export, with
TO the effect that the through
rate is determined by the addition of the
ocean rate from time to time prevailing.
The law contemplates that all traffic
from inland points designed for export
by sea must be taken under joint tariff
or an individual tariff; the tariffs above
to as now on file embraces both
classes. Under these tariffs the inland
rate to the point of export cannot be
varied without subjecting the carrier to
the penalty imposed for violation of the
law.
THE RETURN TO POWER
= 49,. go.