The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-12-18
Interstate Commerce Commission
Makes Its Annual Report to
Congress.
Legislation Needed to Make the
Law Mean What Was Orig
inally Intended.
Scalping Business Has Become a
Positive Scandal Pass SyS-
tenn an Evil.

rendered during the year by federal
courts involving important features of
the act to regulate commerce are as
signed prominent place in the tenth
annual report Of the interstate COM
merce commission to congress. During
the year the supreme court has rem
dered three decisions of special import
ance. In one case the law has been
upheld and fortified in a most import
ant particular, but in the others have
either emphasized the defects or left its
further Interpretation so doubtful and
uncertain as to increase the difficulties
of efficient administration. These cases
were the import rate case, involving
the question of differences in charge
for like services as between foreign and
domestic traffic; second, the social
circle case involving the long and short
haul clause of the act, and third, the
Borwn case, concerning the right of
person to refuse to testify on the ground
that it might incriminate himself.
Civil Cases Pending.
A statement of "civil cases pending
in the courts" shows % cases to en-
force regulating orders of the COM
mission, and "a mandamus proceedings
to compel carriers to file annual re-
ports with the commission. Forty five
cases calling for an investigation of 529
carriers have been placed on the docket
of formal proceedings 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 O.
amending the law so as to give greater
force and tinality to the findings and
decisions of the commission.
Couplers and Brakes.
In April last the commission re-
uested 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
couplers and train brakes, which be.
come effective Jan. |. 1898. Replies
were received from 500 companies.
of the 30 1893 locomotives mentioned in
| these replies 80. 53 per cent have driving
wheel brakes. OF the 33, 1913 passenge,
cars reported in use, 97.O2 per cent have
automatic couplers and 1891 per cent
are fitted with train brakes; 1917, ,O64
freight cars reported, of which 20. Sc
per cent have train brakes and 37.4
per cent are equipped with automatic
couplers The requirements of this
law for standard heigAt of drawbars
on freight cars appears from inspection
made at different points during the
year to be fairly well observed.
| The Ticket Brokerage Business.
AS to ticket brokerage, the repor
says:
This illegitimate traffic has become
a positive scandal, and decisive meas
ures should be taken to put an end tt
these illegal transactions. The com
1 mission recommends that it be made {
penal offense for any person to engage
| in the business of selling interstate
1 passenger tickets, unless he is al
authorized agent of the carrier, duly
! constituted such by written appoint
4 ment."
| Under the head of free transportation
of passengers, the report says tina
the practice of giving passes, or re
duced passenger rates to shippers O
their employees, and of issuing "com
plimentary" passes to persons ON &C
count of the profession in which the,
are engaged or the public duties the!
perform, is strongly condemned. Tn
subject is submitted to congress witt
the general recommendation that suit
able prob. bitory legislation be enacted
| A number of amendments to the Law
are recommended, and they are, tn
commission says, intended to make tn
substance of the law mean what it wa
supposed to mean at the time of it
passage.
| Scaly eruptions on the head. chappe
hands and lips, cuts, bruises. scad