Omaha daily bee., 1893-12-04
COMMERCE COMMISSIONS REPORT.
Additional Legislation Recommended by
Which Regulation VIII lie Complete.

Additional Legislation Recommended by
Which Regulation win lie Complete.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.-The following ia a
synopsis of the seventh annual report of the
Interstate Commerce commission:
Attention is called to the peculiar Office Of
common carriers and the dependence Of
every occupation upon their facilities, the
right of every person TO receive just and
equa treatment in all that pertains to
public transportation and the paramount
purpose OF regulating enactments to secure
to the people the actual enjoyment Of this
right. There must be n common public rate,
prima facie, Just and reasonable, which
measures the lawful charges of the carriers.
The enactment of the long and short haul
clause was deemed a public necessity. 1t is
nothing more than an extension to places of
the rule f~orbidding unjust discrimination be-
tween persons. The operation of the long
and short haul provision is stated to have
been satisfactory under the construction put
upon 1t by the commission and accepted gen
orally by the carriers.
Iowa Case an Exception.
But the effect of a decision of the court Of
appeals in an Iowa case wherein the word
line in the statute was given q wholly diff
ferent meaning from that which the commits
sion has held was the proper construction,
has been startling. The courts decision
iiiS DtCu lullONtu anu eNDlIuSu Dy
other courts. These decisions hold in effect
that one railroad is a line and that the same
ana another road is n different line, and that
these railroads are sill another line, and so
on; and that rates on one line are not to be
compared with rates on another. The COM
mission holds the word ''line' means q
parallel line, the tracks of one or more rail-
roads, and that q line may be extended over
other roads by simply connecting the tracks.
1t is alleged that tramp vessels on the
lakes operating under fuctuating rates
prevent the regular lines from publish
ing through rates in connection with rail
carriers. But certain methods pursued by
the regular" lines are as obnoxious as those
of the tramp vessels. Further statements
are made with regard to publication of rates
for water and rail transportation aud recon-
mendation is made for amendments so as to
bring these water carriers under the Law.
New Legislation recommended.
The commission recommends additional
legislation on these subjects:
First-With respect to proceedings to en-
force the lawful orders OF the commission.
Second L give legislative construction
to the word line" in the statute.
Third-To provide forestablishing through
routes and JOINT through rates.
Fou~rth-Togive the commission power to
prescribe minimum as well as maximum
rates to competitive points.
Fifth-To provide for the adoption of n
uniform freight Classification.
Slxth-To make corporations subject to
the act iiuble to indictment for violations of
the law.
Seventh-To provide a penalty for failure
on the part of the carriers to file their an
nual reports within a specified time.
The commission also calls the attention of
congress to the subjects generally considered
IN the body of the report and the suggestions
therein made with q view of further extern
sion of the act by additional amendments