Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1894-12-14
SHIPPERS RIGHTS
annual Report of the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
VARIOUS SUBJECTS TREATED

:. Declares in Favor of Single CLASH
acatlon of Commodities for the Whole
Country Congress Can Prescribe
Rules Regulating Commerce.
WASHINGTON, Decem Der 9.--The eighth
annual report of the Interstate Com
roerce Commission, which was sent to
Congress yesterday, ranges through a
variety of subjects, opening with that of
oourt decisions, noting the case Of Brim-
.on and others. The Supreme Court
held that Congress may employ any APP
rropriate means to accomplish the OBJ
iect of the law granted to it by the con-
Stitution, and that Congress has plenary
nower to prescribe the rules regulating
interstate commerce; that provisions of
the 18th section of the act to regulate
commerce, requiring the courts to use
their process in aid of inquiries before
the commission, are constitutional and
valid: that in proceeding to complete
the attendance and testimony of wit
nesses before the commission or to com
mel the production OF books, papers and
documents, in a case OF which under the
constitution Federal court may take
cognizance, the failure to obey an order
nj the court requiring the giving OF such
testimony or the production of docu-
ments before the commission is properly
nnnishable as contempt of court.
Regarding criminal and civil proce-
dure under the law the commission, call
inc attention to misapprehension upon
r,la II
report to the Department of Justice facts
concerning alleged violations of the pc
nal clauses of the act and says this does
not clothe the commission with detective
or prosecuting functions, its connection
with the criminal side Of the law ending
with such report to the Department OF
Justice. The report says that 1t Is the
dnty of shippers railway managers and
citizens generally to assist the govern.
ment in running down violations of
statutes designed to protect their inter-
esta. TRANSFORMATION should not be re-
garded as a part of the private business
OF shippers. 1t should be viewed as an
agency provided under government sane
ton. II recommends that the carrying
corporations be made indictable and
subject to fine for violation of the act.
The report presents at length a state
ment of the work of the commission
and discusses the long and short haul
clause. Due observance OF that clause,
it says, will encourage legitimate and re-
strain illegitimate competition IN the
carrying trade.
Speaking of the classification of freights
the commission refers to the progress al
ready made toward harmonious railway
4, oh co. Ia a h.
lie interests, and explains the necessity
OF providing single classification OF com
modities for the whole country. Tine
advance in the past, it asserts, demon
strates that uniformity Is practicable,
and the failure to secure satisfactory
progress in this work is due to the TACT
that the three classlticatlons now IN use
have been separately developed by the
associated lines operating IN sectlons
where the classitications apply, and that
each group OF carriers has accomplished
its separate task, but seems unable to
agree upon and enforce single classlh-
cation. Uniform classification, the re-
port says, depends upon the passage OF
a statute requiring its accomplishment,
and the commission recommends thaJ IL
be directed to make and prescribe within
a time to be named for such classlhca-
ton.
UTAH COMMISSIONS REPORT.
WASHINGTON, December 9.-The an
nual report of the Utah Commission sub
mitted to the Secretary of the Interior
yesterday reviews the general perform
ance of its duties in the supervision OF
the elections in that Territory. The
commission says the registration OF Vot-
ers preparatory to the general election
was made in fairness. About 5000 reg
istration Offices were apportioned among
the twenty-six counties and over 1000
judges of election appointed. The total
amount of appropriations Tor the com ON
mission for the fiscal year was $50, 900,
and the disbursements S26, 673.