Omaha daily bee., 1896-04-02
IN FAVOR or FOREIGN SHIPPERS.

! IN FAVOR or FOREIGN SHIPPERS.
The decision Of the United states su-
/ prcmc court in the import rate case will
| probably lead to an amendment Of the
Interstate commerce law for the rc-
moval Of the discrimina tion in favor Of
foreign shippers which the decision up
holds. The Interstate Commerce com
mission had made ruling denying the
right Of railroad companies 10 discriu,-
mate in favor of foreign shippers. ana
this was sustained by the federal circuit
court of appeals, which held tliat IL was
! Illegal to charge less for trans 2ormtipn
on imported than on domestic goods.
| The railroad company in ihc case adj
mitted that the discrimination was
practiced and defended thc practice on
the ground that through shipments from
foreign country 10 the Interior of the
| United States differed in circumstances
and conditions from shipments origi.
mating at the American seaboard bound
for the same Interior points
The supreme court tccidcd-thn clinf
Justice and two Of the justices dissent.
ng-that the commission erred IN IT'S
construction of the law and the decision
of the lower court was reversed IT
was held that in passing the act to
regulate interstate commerce It was not
the intention of congress "to interfere
with and interrupt. much less destroy,
sources of trade and commerce altcady
existing. nor to overlook the property
rights of those who had invested money
in the railroads of the country, nor TO
disregard the interests of corsum hrs."
1t is the duty of the commission to con
slider mot only the wishes Of the ship
pers Of the large cities, bnt also the
desire and advantages of the carriers
in securing special forms of traffic AMI
the interest of the public" The efforts
of the commission, says the decision to.
deprive the inland consumers of the
advantages of through rates and thus
to give an advantage II the traders
and manufacturers Of the large sea
board cities. seems - create the very
mischief which it was one of the oh,
iects of the act to remedy. In Il dis
StnIlllS bllHlOu JuStht liuIIuI COLI
tended that congress did not intend
that the rates to lie charged by our
carriers on freight shipped FROM II for
ciGn country On Il through bill of lading
to some place in the United States
should depend upon rates established
abroad from ocean transportation. Re
fcrring to the difference in the charges
in favor of foreign goods. Justice Har-
Ian said that "if such discrimination
against American goods by American
railways, acting with foreign companies.
is consistent with the act of congress-
then the title of the act should have
been to regulate commerce for the bene
fit of foreign manufacturers and deal
ers, to the injury of American indus
tries" We have no doubt that intelli
gent public judgment will concur in tn
opinion of Justice Harlan that the in
terpretation given the law in the de-
csion of the court places it in the
power of the railroads to do n gross
injustice by enabling them to place
American industries at the mercy of
foreign capital and foreign combina-
tions.
Senator CullOm has announced that
he will introduce an amendment 10 the
Interstate commerce law so as to pre-
vent the transportation of foreign goods
at cheaper rates than those of domestic
manufacture. and there ought to be no
doubt of the prompt adoption by con
gress of such an amendment. What
ever may be thought of the logical
soundness Of the supreme court de.
cision it may be confidently said that
public sentiment will not tolerate the
discrimination it upholds.