New-York tribune., 1897-12-17
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.
THE COMMISSION FOR ITS REGULATION
MAKES ITS ANNUAL REPORT.
MORE POWER IN FIXING RATES ASKED FoR-wILL
POOLING BILL REMEDY THE sITUA-
T1oN?--cIvIL AND CRIMINAL

ma
extent and character OF the administrative work
which the Commission has accomplished sessions
have been he'd during the year In many paris o'
tho country as we'll as IN Washington. INC
charges and practices Of so carriers have been III
ves;cated On the subject Of import ana eHpol'
rates one of the first topics treated in the roP'r
Is this statement ,.or.
Nortton is again made Of TIE effect Of the import
rate decision of the Supreme Court TequIiaS ~ for
competition arising in foreign countries :" nroper
eign seas be considered ani EN-" n~s OF rates
weight in deterinnne me proPer Iricd 6ctween the
same points in this country: The freisns foTe,gn
reaching our VARIOUS pors from inrne n goods 70
pne ~ our norts from every foreign pU ,,ar,,iue
eqna free from legal rSsra!n' aIno %n% 'i be- eiven
con- petition arising out Of sven Totes on impor;
ofnc az ocean charges vary without rCes'G and in
land rates determinations or poent ~ 70 charge the
dsreS@rG OF IN All ;mnoSt traffic to all persons; nree
carriers a'so apply the 70 their export traf
Sourt IN e regard TO rates maintained on TE Ta1s
to the seaboard cities ,W L1s MADE easy and con-
portoon a6Tse srorded vng e6aes % Rn6T} on d9
nests g2oGs is unable to recommend any pT9Se
teal ru, or additions M arTeS within the Unired
statss at other than the nand a. ;Hr appealed to
otber freights, and Sonsiess 80 "e"''' "FF
co. q anoropriate legislation - 49, l..
proraing the powers of the ComrissloH' 'ii7 u
.,.,on of the Supreme Court, one Jus'lce osse
49,, va. that the Commission can ohi! III" " -
80, what was wrong in the past, ana cai'"o' pr
- rote, for future observance by the carrier
,o,+er WAS discussed. and the members ol 'ie
cnn,ro,s,,on were in favor of having more poNe'
N,aasd IN their hands. Going into details 'he re-
port says: ,, o,os can only be re-
oarnS nv the cne who pays the treiEnt, nUr''3
While the real loser is yeneFa Sa psty ,Hf injured could
noSTs nierest t'f in cas-;
wo,d Usually be small and ne tfeGugTc match
not indydo' VI 1aroSd 6S} Rep
apaton has been awardSd e{ 1hf to those
IN I'VE snrsr ard Complain is the mere right 10 re-
cover portion of the freight p@aiv p@iu hen brought
ing stete Commission. freight bureau or 90 Dy me we
Interstate Commerce S0qrnni5g the e rate schedule
ton, WIN w fuure effect bu, such bodies would nG5
conduct iyesSa9hnts 1Ehts when the case
ery OF damages gets to me couff Nv ~ CbcSg6
pounds reasonable while Kansas nrgose Tg Of The
S ct * T. to secure uniformity Of rates but TdGn"e
on Of the remedy prCaeGd pToTrf decision not uniformity
and equality. but the direst coiii"sioi "''0
discrimination ,,,,e
WANT POWER OVER FUTURE ma h1'
claims based on unreasonable rates may come 10
be bought and sold. prosecuted upon p1| San,oga
IN much the same way that PERSONA "a'lpe ,
n,,,rn. are and iuries will give the Ike excessive
,"rd,c,. that they often do IN suits OF 'hat ha'u,e
Doss the United States Government nesrS bicb Jo s
beratey create tnS5 aS5ZeS brigandage Instead Of
ayne that the Commission can only IesarIf ~ the
past nd Se more for the interest Of the Puoc ana
the carriers II inquiries oy me tn redrce rate
Sas been and will be- If sEantsd 9Gst e impobT,
feature Of the W9S rate redvctons In
,hrty-eight cases now pending the nan hee CASES
Is one ne be most important interests In widely eHa
@ated sections Of the country ana tne ormous
T9y~e THsrs should II be some tribunal decide h thSse G
questions and unless some obnS have power to pre-
scribe rates IN the future. as II mas aSSO'''0
in the past . .to maintenance
y, D,,hlisbed rates the report Of the Commission
observing that It is thing to secure puohcatlo"
Of the proper rate and another thlhe u ''O
herence to It. ~. ,o-
T-nder the statute IT is a criminal offence tor
ranwav ofbc,al to give or a shipper to take
bossbe hess 5han 10 's Obtain evidence such rie cutting
ia bsGautss tsemseves TSs was cured by amend,
ment Of the law WHICH the supFen,e After that d.
cSeion railroad managers loudly protested ther IN m
ent0n to mantar a1an r,aey raf admitted by railway Of
fcias that tariff rates were disregarded in & ~
TsilwaYs engaged in traffic the Atlantic sea;
board. who must have known %henef %,n1f exespiioo
thst thew had in all cases been main ntained Never
ees the fact is well 70 eaps S the
fit of these cuts The small shipper pays me , iuI,
doing business at all The same is also true with
carriers AS RUE, they want to obey the raw
fciais and dishonest shippers may compel every
competing railway andeyery conpeihg slpper % ~ DO
far this outrageous situation extends me Co,nnis.
sion has no St i s and ha ee
6s nsff hat Sf he re%s lies hs @
a pooling bill
PROS AND CONS OF POOLING
The Commission is not agreed as TO the wisdom
OF this legislation. A majority OF the members
think that pooling would Improve rate conditions.
and they consider the present situation so dis
astrous that they would be inclined 10 ndorse any
way out OF It. The report goes TO say, how
II pooling produces any beneficial results 1t neces-
sariiy does 50 at the expense Q. coIapetltion. BY
iegazing pooling the pubic loses ne only protec-
OF transportation agencies SUI, IN view OF ne
be inclined to Tecommend that The expcdient :
tried II suitable safeguards are provided IN advance
b1t dn:I eco sst S TOO 90 3t 3Een & on S
OF certain advocates OF pooling 10 select particular
exhibition of what It's author believes upon this
Commission wish to say In the strongest possible
terms that they are unanmous IN The opinion that
the iifh section ot the Interstate Commerce act and
enact In its place pooling bill thereby permitting
sier., would be little better than crime agains;
the people OF the United States. unless this tribunal
with adequate powers OF control. and that nothing
less in degree than those outlined in this repor: o.
their equivalent would be adequate"
But the Commission also points out that Congress
Is not powerless 10 remedy the existing evil OF te
cutting without granting pooling, and that one way
would be TO establish supervision and Inspection
charge Of one or more stations. That is no more
rigorous than the system under which National
banks exist. This Is not now recommended. how:
ever. The Commission does earnestly recommend
that Congress undertake the revision OF this entire
law. The dissenting opinion OF Justice Harlan from
the decision OF the Supreme Court In the Troy case
IL quoted from stating the exact situation. While
the Commission can. in halting fashion. correct
some forms of Determinations. adjust differences
between carriers and shippers informally. conduct
investigations and make reports ana publish stats
tical information, II haf by virtue OF judicial de-
eis9n. ceased TO be BODY tor the regulation, Of