The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-17

WASHINGTON, Dec 16.-The annual
report of the interstate commerce COM
mission was made public today. In
considerable measure 1t Is devoted to
legal decisions of the past year that
have affected the powers of the COM
mission and to new legislation where it
is regarded as advisable. Mention Is
made of the effect of the import rate
decision of the supreme court, requir-
ing that competition arising in foreign
countries or on foreign seas must be
considered and given proper weight in
determining the proper relations of
rates on import and domestic traffic
carried between the same points in this
country. The commission is unable to
recommend any practical rule or addi-
tiOnal legislation other than that i'm
port traffic shall not be carried within
the United States at other than the in
land tariff governing other freights,
and congress is again appealed to for
appropriate legislation.
Discussing the supreme court decis-
ion denying power in the commission
to prescribe maximum rates, the report
states that 1t is perhaps the most i'm
portant since the act was passed. Car
riers may now establish their own rates
and judge for themselves what are
reasonable and just, Independent of
any regulating authority. The power
OF the commission over future disCrimi-
nations and preferences is also affected.
Without authority to make the first
three sections of the law effective in
the future, practically all the commits
sion can do, it is urged is to inquire
into wrongs done in the past and re-
port the result to itself. A suit to re-
cover excess over reasonable rates is
not an adequate or equitable remedy.
Prevention by fixing and establishing
reasonable rates in advance Is suggest
ed as the only practical legal remedy
for extortionate and unjust charges,
and the law should be made so plain
that neither the commission nor the
courts can misconstrue or misinterpret
its meaning.
POOLING LAW.
AS to the wisdom of pooling legfsla
ton the commission is not agreed. By
legalzing pooling the public loses the
only protection it now has against the
unreasonable eXactions of transporta-
ton agencies. STILL In view Of the
whole situation, a majority of the COM
mission would be inclined to recon-
mend that the expedient be tried If
suitable safeguards are provided In ad-
vance. Inc HleIlDtIS VI llic COiIlIlliS-
sion say, however, in the strongest pos
sible terms that they are unanimous in
the opinion that to oVerturn the trans
Missouri decision, to repeal the fifth
section of the interstate commerce act
and enact in it's place a pooling bill,
thereby permitting and inviting unlim-
tied combination between carriers,
would be little better than crime
against the people Of the United States,
twill nr her.
| tribunal, is at the same time invested
| with adequate powers of control.
The report includes railway statistics
for the year ending June 80, 1885, an
abstract Of which has heretofore been
| published Advance figures from the
| preliminary report on the income ac-
| count of railways for the year ending
| June 30, 1897, prepared in the stats
! tician's office, are also given, which
| show that the gross earnings of 743
| railways, representing on June 80, 1897,
| an operated mileage of 180, 127.65 miles,
we're S1.116, ,635. .999 The operating ex-
penses were STAT, 589, $40, leaving net
earnings of 1868, ,O46, ,629 The railways
| also received $34, ,166, ,656 from sources
| other than operation, so that the total
| income for the year was $4O3 ,2So
| The total deductions from income, in
cluding in the term interest, rents OF
.,
against income, were $347, 1896, ,l05. Tie
| dividends declared amounted to $751;
| 196. 579. The deficit from the opera
| tions of the year as reported was ST.
Az, ,399.
SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
To make the act operative. In ac-
! cordance with its generally accepted
objects and purposes, and to give prac-
ttcal effect to it's first, second and third
| sections, which declare unjust and un-
! reasonable rates and charges TO be
unlawful, and which in terms forbid
| unjust determinations and undue pref
! erences, the commission submits ana
! recommends amendments to sections b.,
/ - ard 16 of the act These relate TO
/ the preparation filing and publication
! of tariffs. powers of the commission
| over rates. and procedure in the courts.
/ mendmentS are also proposed for sec
/ tion 4. the long and short haul clause;
| section 20. covering the filing of an
/ nuaI reports; section 8, as to through
routes and through rates, and section
10. the penal section.
An amendment requiring import and
domestic traffic to be carried at the
! same rates is suggested, but If congress
shall deem il wise to justify higher
/ charges on domestic than on imported
/ traffic. then it submitted that some
( provision of law be enacted under
which it will be practicable to deter
mine the extent to which discrimina-
tons through lower rates shall be made
in favor of freights coming from for
eign countries.
Attention is called to other legisla-
ton recommended in the body of the
report, including pending bills provld-
ing for uniform classification and pro-
hibifirg ticket brokerage.