The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-06-01
RAILROAD DECISIONS.
Comment of Eastern Newspapers on
Supreme Court Rulings.

Supreme Court Rulings.
The following arc comments by New YORK
newspapers upon supreme court oec4siohS
regarding railroad questions:
New York Tribune. The decisions OF the
supreme court on railroad questions are
called favorable to the railroads, but do not
cover any point of material Importance
Those which concern equal rates TO different
shippers of the same town. or rates proper
toned TO service at dinerent towns ohiy
carry out well known provisions OF ihe
Interstate law. applying them to details oi
relatively small Importance rallfoau
delivered the beer with carriage to one deal
er. but without carriage at the same charge
To another dealer in the same loWh, WHICH
the court holds an Illegal DISCRIMINATION,
To one town road includes the cost o'
cartage in delivery OF goods, nut nov 10
another town. aud the court hnds III tl1" no
discrimination in rates charged ior the run
service, but holds II within the power oil 'he
int,.retatc commission to direct that ram
roads should hereafter include carriage as
such in their schedules. The cnses anu ue-
cisions indicate how minute ana strict u,
small details the inference WIN Fa'irouu
service by the courts ana commissions %
Incoming under the existing law ana YET
in matters UNNECESSARILY more important
there remain grave abuses "i''h '"0 -"
appears unable 10 reach.
Tho case of discrimination against Now
York I'm the trunk line rates ON eaa'p"""'
freight TO this and other seaport eitle9'
which is amtedly of the utmost iuliTi
ance 10 the business of all the cities mas
r~5 vet reached action in the comnllsslon'
,S,;,.h is IA hear u again next month
Commtssloncr Morrison suggests that INC
commission might venture TO say wpa' tue
maximum rates should be on certain ciassts
-, rrnipht and what the difference should
he between New York and BOSTON, No
doubt II such rule were maze ana ac
ceptcd hy all the railroacs anu M 'ns -
Nil, of the cities concerned, the hlhttef
ro,,ld he settled. but it can hardly be CON
siderea probable that such unahiinIty ol
oeeant ,yiI be realized II the commission
bad mower TO fix rates, there would SIM
lac controversy as to the justice OF lts ue-
cislon. which would burden the cpuI.S US
did The case inst decided RELATING " -,
20 and Cincinnati rates over ''''Ns' =
road ~, ,,,eeouence
rendered Monday. merely declared that we
Interstate commission had 20 power W IN
rats upd consequently no power by man
daipug I'm the courts TO ENFORCE any s".
tariff by it prescribed. rms Is ~ AZ a.
w,itb ,ba evident intent OF the act anu IA
ronJ,rin,, the decision Judge Brewer shio'
II Is not TO be supposed thAt cohel,es
,.o,,lJ over authorize an administrative
Nh 10 establish rates withou, inquiry anu
n,aminaiion, TO evolve, as II We're GU. "
as o,.n consciousness the satisfactory eo'u
ION of Tho difficult problem Of the JUST auh
r..,,rnable rltts for all the various foaus
in mis- country: and II It had ihtenaeu 70
Grant Inc mower TO establish rates IL "oui"
have said so IN unmistakabie terms ao
This e so obvious that Is, seems stIans ,
any doubt on the subje@'s eould nave 'I'ssH,
Si,bnr In any single chamber OF conI,raer
r in tho commit. ,ion. But as cPmi'iasivati
Morrls,n avs the decision amounts 10 'hls,
~, the commission has power 10 az
~h't,,sr mites are too high or TOO low put
~ no, The mower to say how mheh 700
,,Ish M. ,o.I low they are. After these man
Us =, u,igation. we are getting down 20
~ f,odamental difficulties underlying nv
.nitr,. scheme of regulating propSlH
,rhich mo government dots not own. Eau
ocn,n,on sense indicates that an aafi'ln'h
s's,i,,o conjunction should not have power
to "ovplye. as II were, out OF hs oNn ~
a,.,,scf,s" ne rate at which the owhgis
\, ,,rorerty shall soil It's service. ohl't Nv
lgayernint nj owns he railroads thV "a.
dy rates by government authority VIII ma ma
~ ha granted. But It is htiii an op.al ls
ion. after many years. how far inte aiis IN.
~ government. commission dement's
public, ,.,snor,ing interest. In
,.,,.b large part OF the capilai y, "a
a,,n,,v ia invested has been hnh,eu , to-
.eSe., nv state and National auin1 ,ba,
Iii Wi, an uncomfortable proportion % '''