Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-12-09
THE LAW IND0RSED
Public Opinion Upholds the In
terstate Commerce Act.
REPORT FROM THE COMMISSIONERS.


Law, and Where 1t Faiis-Common Car
riers Inclined to withhold Important
Evidence--suegestio for Amendment
Denial of the Report That Kalakaua
Wants to Sell His Kingdom--National
Capital Notes.
WASHINGTON Cry, Dec 9-The an
nual report of the Interstate commerce
commission, after reciting the various
hearings and decisions rendered by the
commission, says that efforts to influence
public opinion against the law by those de-
string its repeal have in large measure
been abandoned, and the principle of the
legislation accepted as the settled policy
of the country. Apparently, and to large
extent actually, the law has been obeycd;
but active and severe competition and the
prevalence of rate wars. have at times oc-
casioned violations of the provisions as to
the publication Of rates and the prohibi-
ton of unjust Determinations
No Help from Railway Associations.
Nor have the railway associations formed
for the purpose of preventing violations of
the law by any means fulfilled the hopes
of their originators. They do but little
toward preventing rate wars, secret con-
eessions in rates, and other demoralizing
practices. The commission has not re-
ceived from the carriers the aid that might
have been expected in preventing viola
tions OF the law by their competitors in
the granting OF rebates, etc. Influenced
by the fear of offending influential ship
pers the course pursued is to meet the
Illegal concession, not to expose it.
Embarrassments Complained or
The commission is embarrassed by the
circumstance that its finding of facts in
any case before it, as well as its conclu-
sions of law, are subject to review in the
courts, where the whole case of law and
fact may be heard de novo-and upon diff
ferent evidence from that which appeared
In the hearing before the commission, the
carrier meantime continuing the course
which the commission has condemned. II
IS suggested that the finding of facts by
the commission should be conclusive with
certain qualifications The report saws
that the work is too great TO be performed
by the commission unaided, owing to the
great extent of territory TO be covered.
aud the necessity OF having power TO con-
duct investigations through special agents
is again pointed out.
The Effect of Rate Wars.
The subjec; of rate wars and rate cut
tings is discussed at length, and the result
ing evils of determinations and other yio-
lations OF the law are pointed out. The
suggestion is made that the practice of
rate cutting appears to the public to fur
nish evidence of no light weight that pub
h'hed rates are already higher than they
ought 10 be. Where the commission on a
hearing before it orders general reduc-
ton of published rates on certain kinds of
traffic to lower figures, which it was quite
clear were already granted in many cases,
the carriers protest that the reduction is
unreasonably low as against them; but
the commission was carefully denied ac-
cess 20 means of information accessible to
the carriers alone, by which the question
could be determined
How Rebates, Etc, Work.
The open and published rates of a car
rier cannot be deemed reasonable when
the carrier is known TO grant rebates. nav
commissions, eonnive at the devices of
scalpers, and provide multitude of favor
ties with free passes The public has the
the existence and extent of these practices
in Order to determine whether the pub
lished rates. are reasonable. The action of the
commission in respect to rates has usually
been TO produce equality and prevent dis
ordinations, rather than to enforce gen
eral reduction resulting in loss of revenue.
The railway companies, yielding to the
suggestions of the commission, have finally
decided upon uniform classification of
freight TO take effect at an early day.
The Long and short Haul
The long and short haul question re-
ceives long and able treatment. The car
riers are adjusting their charges more
and more to the requirements of the law.
and complaints against it are becoming
less frequent. Ticket brokerage, or scalp-
ing is unsparingly condemned: its iniuri-
Gus consequences to the carriers and their
patrons are pointed out, as well rs its de-
moraliz.ng effect upon the public gener-
ally.
Commissions and Consolidation.
The payment of commissions to secure
traffic is condemned as tending to demon
eli2e freight rates, unjust discrimination.
unreasonably high charges the depletion
of railway revenues and ian illegitimate
wnste of money from which no permanent
ly good results can possibly accrue" The
constant tending towards consolidation of
different roads is noticed, and ''the COM
mission is aware of no existing forces,
legal or otherwise that are likely to bring
il Under control"
Amendments Recommended
Amendments tothe act are recommend
ed providing for the establishment of
through routes and through rates over
connecting lines, strengthening the penal
provisions of the act, authorizing the CON-
mission to call for more frequent financial
ana statistical reports from the railroads,
and in other particulars looking to the
improvement of the law and its more eff
fecfiVe administration