Evening star., 1896-12-17
REGULATING RAILWAY RATES
Rsesmnsna.tioa. j IL. 1n.sr,s.s. Conn.
.merce Commission. !
.ClesiAg Dawn Sn the Jsinf STraAe As
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The annual reeorts 1f the interstate COM
merce commissioners which was laid before
Congress today. is N some particulars the
most interesting that has ever been pre-
pared by the commission.
That which is likely to attract the great
est attention on the part of the public is
the authoritative announcement that the
commits sion has determined to thoroughly
investigate the organization of the Joint
Traffic Association. Referring to this the
commission mentions the Southern States
Freight Association. the Western Freight
Association, the Southwestern Traffic Asso-
citation. the Western Passenger Association,
the Central Freight Association and the
Joint Traffic Association as among the ex-
fsting traffic associations, and says that in
these and other, skillfully drawn traffic
agreements recently entered into the words
80 far as 1t can legally be done follow
provisions for maintenance Of rates and the
aPportionment or division of competitive
traffic. and apparently these words were
deemed necessary to validate such agree
ments. Finally. attention is called to q
statement OF Thomas M. Cooley. while
chairman of the commission, regarding con-
trivance5 by many railroad officials to
evade the law. Their ingenuity in this re-
gard may also be pronounced marvellous:
the old mischiefs (before the law was en-
actedJ were reDresented under new ssuises
just so far as plausible excuses could be in
vented for the purpose" To ascertain
whether such agreements will receive the
sanction OF the courts is the object sought
In the proceedings begun against the Joint
Traffic Association. =,
Free tiOn of Passengers.
Under this head the practice of giving
passes or reduced passenger rates to ship
pers or their employees. and of issuing
complimentary passes to persons on ac-
count Of the profession in which they are
engaged or the public duties they perform;
Is strongly condemned. No reason is sug-
gested why the penal provisions of the
statute should not be made to apply to
those who, not coming within the classes
specially excepted In the statute obtain or
receive free passes or reduced passenger
rates, as well to those who by any de-
vice solicit, obtain or receive concessions
from established rates of freight While
such amendment would have deterring in
nuence upon many who are now willing il
not eager, to travel free under a pass un-
lawfully issued by a railway official. it
seems doubtful whether that provision
alone would operate to completely suppress
this demoralizng transportati ton practice.
and the subject is submitted to Congress
with the general recommendation that suit.
able prohibitory legislation be enacted
Snfety Appliances ON Railways.
In April last, says the report the COM
mission requested the carriers to show how
far, up to April l, their equipment had been
made to conform to the requirements Of
sections 1 and of the safety appliance acr,
relating TO couplers1 ana train brakes, which
become effective january /. 1898 Replies
were received fromnl 60 companies So 5;,
per cent of the 81, 1913 locomotives mention
ed In these replies 1have driving ef
brakes. OF the 33,B2S passenger cars re-
ported In use, 97.02 per cent have automa ti.
eoupiers and 1891 per cent are fitted with
train brakes: f.2fI, ,664 freight cars are re-
ported. of which 165S,per cent have train
brakes, and 31.41 per cent are equipped with
automatic coupiers.' II Is noted however,
that many couplerso only work automatical-
ly with those of the same type The rate
of progress toward compliance with the
coupler feature of the law, which obtained
prior to April l. must be greatly increased
If the equipment OF the roads is to be
brought into conformity with the statute on
January I, 1858. The Requirements of this
law for standard height of draw-bars
On freight cars appears from inspection
made at different pofnts during this: year
to be fairly we'll Observed
Ticket brokerage, the REPORT says has be-
come positive scandal The commission
recommends that 1t be made a penal Of
tense for any person to engage in the busi-
ness of selling interstate passenger tickets
Unless he Is an authorized agent of the
carrier. duly constituted such by written
appointment. s-..-a
quite number of amendments asked for
are intended the report says, simply to
make the substance of the law mean what
1t was supposed to mean at the time of its
passage. -"