The Indianapolis journal., 1896-11-20
PATRONS OF HUSBANORY
CLOSE OF THE ANNUAL CONVENTION
OF THE NATIONAL GRANGE.
Am end ments tO the Interstate-COnl-
merce Law Recommended by the
transportation Committee.

WASHINGTON, Nov 19.-The National
Grange after being i'm session for ten
days. completed its work to-day. very
elaborate report from the committee on
transportation was presented and adopted.
1t detailed many of the complaints against
carriers among them elevator charges,
manipulation of rates through milling in
transit privilege, cutting of export rates,
so that the middle man can ship from the
interior to the seaboard cheaper than the
producer; the unintelligibility of rate
sheets posted at railway stations, etc. The
report recommended several amendments
to the interstate-commerce law:
'First-That the procedure in the courts
to enforce the orders of the commission
should be confined to the record made up
of the testimony taken before the commits
sion. and the order of the commission
should be enforced unless the court shall
find i'm such proceedings some material
error prejudical to the carrier, which furn-
ishes sufficient reason for refusing to en-
force IL.
''Second-That the commissioners should
have power TO require. after investigation
and inquiry. that the rates facilities or
practices involved in the case shall oe
changed. modified or corrected speci-
fled in the ORDER so that when the COM
mission has determined what is unlawful
it shall be its duty TO prescribe what is
lawful in respect to such rates, facilities
or practices.
freight articles should be established with
out delay and the commissioners required
to conform TO such classification.
"FOurth-That the commission should
have power TO require connecting carriers
to establish through routes for continuous
carriage of freighIs.i and make reasonab BILE
through rates for shipments over such
routes and in case of disagreement be-
tween carriers in regard to division of rates
between them the commission should have
power to determine the apportionment of
through 90 inr~S
"Fifth-That the commission should have
authority to determ,n' and prescribe the
schedules and joint tariffs of rates re-
Quired by the act TO be published and filed
and TO from time to time change such
prescribed form, ETC., as may be found ex-
pedent.f
"SiXth-That the charging of higher rates
on domestic traffic than Tor like service for
through export or import traffic should be
distinctly prohibited
"Seventh-That the commission should
have authority to require the prompt filing
of annual and monthly reports by carriers.
The committee recommends the discussion
of transportation matters generally and
particularly those arising from time to
time in various localities i'm the local
oranges and that our Senators and Repre-
sentatives in Congress be asked, as oc-
easion asi may demand, to take necessary
action for removal of transportation abuses
by suitable legislation
The reciprocity resolution discussed yes
terday was tabled because it trenched on
politics. -lG.
The report of the committee on agri-
culture recited that the conditions con-
fronting the farmers had not materially
changed during the year. and that I'VE be-
lieve that policy which will stimulate home
consumption TO the extent of affording an
opportunity to every man to earn fair
wages and thereby beco me a liberal con-
sumner to be the true American policy
Recent events. the report held. left no
room for doubt that protection is to be the
policy of the incoming administra tion and
demanded that in the revision Of the GUS
toms duties farm products shall be as fully
and amply protected as those of the fac
tory. 1t also expressed the belief that the
true American policy was to build our own
ships and man them with our own men,
The legislative committee adopted resolu-
tion favoring the construction by the gov
ernment of the Nicaraguan canal. Worthy
Master j. II. Brigham, n. j. Bachelor and
DIR. John Trimble were appointed the legs-
lative committee for the ensuing year