The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-18
FREIGHT AND TRAVEL.
Interstate Commerce Commits.
sion Reports to Congress.
SOME AMENDMENTS ARE NEEDED.

Petitions from Many Sources Show Dis
satisfaction with the Workings of the
Interstate Commerce Law in Its Present
Condition - Ticket Brokerage Pro-
nouneed positive ScandaI"-Decisio ions
OF Federal Courts.
Washington, Dec. 1S.-Decisions rem
dered during the year by federal courts
| involving important features OF the act
TO regulate commerce are assigned a
prominent place in the tenth annual re-
port of the Interstate commerce COM
mission sent 10 congress Thursday.
During the year the supreme court
has rendered three decisions of special
importance. In one case the law has
been upheld and fortified in a most i'm
portant particular, but the outcome OF
the others has either emphasized the
defects of the statute or left its further
Interpretation so doubtful and uncer-
tain as TO increase the difficulties of
efficient administration. These cases
We're: The import rate case, involving
the question of differences in charges
for like service as between foreign and
domestic traffic; second. the social cir
Gle case, involving the long and short
maui clause OF the act, and. third the
Brown case, concerning the right OF a
person TO refuse to testify on the ground
that it might tend to criminate himself
"A statement of civil cases pending in
the courts" shows twenty-five cases to
enforce regulating orders of the COM
mission and siXty-four mandamus pro-
ceedings to compel carriers to file an |
nual reports with the commission.
General Discomfort.
Forty-five cases. calling for an inves- |
tigation of 500 carriers, have been |
placed on the docket of formal pro- |
ceedHgs during the year. The general |
discomfort with present transportation
conditions, the report says, as shown by
petitions from so many sections for the
enforcement of the statute emphasizes
the necessity of amending the law so
as to give greater force and finality to
the findings and decisions of the COM
In April last the commission
requested the carriers to show how far.
up to April /, their equipment had been
made to conform to the requirements
of the safety-appliance act relating to
and train brakes which be-
come effective Jan. l. 1898.
Replies were received from 1870 COM
panies; S0.53 per cent. of the 81, 1898 To-
comotives mentioned in these replies |
have driving wheel brakes. OF the 49,
'23 passenger cars reported in use 97.O2
per cent. have automatic couplers and |
'S91 per cent. are fitted with train j
brakes; 1,217,064 freight cars are re- ,
ported, OF which 29.5S per cent have ,
rain brakes and 3741 per cent are
with automatic couplers The !
'equirements of the law for standard {
Height Of drawbars on freight cars ap- :
bear from inspection made at different
POINTS during the year TO be fairly well
observed.
Ticket brokerage n Scandal. J
AS to ticket brokerage the report
ays: This illegitimate traffic has be-
come positive scandal and decisive
measures should be taken to put an Z
nd to these illegal transactions. The
commission recommends that IL be =
made penal offense for any person to
ngage In the business of selling inter- 7
tate passenger tickets unless he is an
authorized agent of the carrier. dulv
Constituted such by written appoint
nent."
ION OF passengers the report says that
he practice of Giving passes or re-
uced passenger rates to shippers or
heir employees, and of issuing "compli-
lentary' passes to persons on account
the profession in which they are en-
aged or the public duties they per-
'rm. is strongly condemned. The sub :
ect Is submitted to congress with the
eneral recommendation that suitable
rohibitory legislation be enacted. A
lumber of amendments to the law are N
commended and they are, the COM n
'ission says, intended to make the SUBJ :.
lance OF the law mean what II was =,
opposed to mean at the time of it's q,
assage. a.
RIUJ AGAUNcr m,