The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-03

maintain, a classification of freight
which shall be uniform throughout the
United States. The Importance Of this
is shown by the action of the carriers.
In making by changes in classification
taking effect Jan. 1st last, a practically
surreptitious advance in rates sof from
s to 45 per cent. on several hundred
articles of staple merchandise.
THE next section exempts the ship
per from the criminal penalties of ,he
law, except when he obtains reduced
rates by fraud. when he is subject to a
maximum fine of $4,000. This will rem
der his testimony easily compellable,
and aid in enforcing the law as against
the carrier. The Imprisonment penal
ties of the present law are entirely
done away with. and the carrier. its
officers and agents who violate the law.
are punishable by fines running up to
500 900. and in some cases as high as
$4,000 a day. This change in the law
does away with the objections of the
railroad officials. who have heretofore
claimed that they would not furnish
brother official to prison, but would
furnish it when it would only mulct
his corporation. 1t is quite likely this
change will lead to severe punish
ment for the corporations in the way
of heavy fines, in cases of future viola
tions of the law under it.
Another section provides that when,
aft r,,I II
finds a carrier in violation of the pro-
visions of the law. in the order requit-
| ing 1t to desist from such violation,
they shall prescribe the thing which It
must do or cease to do, in order to
bring itself into conformity with the
provisions of the law. and in so pre-
| scrbing, the commission shall have
| power (a) to fix maximum rate COW
| ering the entire cost of the service
| (b) to fix both maximum and mini
| mum rate or differential in rate, when
| that may be necessary to prevent dis
| elimination under the third section;
| (c) to determine the division between
| carriers of a joint rate, and the terms
on which business shall be interchang-
| ed, when that is necessary to an exc
| cution Of the provisions of this act !;
| I'D to make changes in classification;
| (e) to so amend the rules and regula-
tions under which traffic moves as to
bring them into conformity with the
| provisions OF this act The carrier
may at any time within so days of the
service of such order upon it, appeal
to the circuit court of the United
States, and this court may in its dis
cretion, under certain circumstances
suspend the operation of the order
pending the hearing of the case, and
| either party may appeal from the de-
cision of the circuit court to the Su-
| preme court of the United States,
where the case must have preference
over all others except criminal cases.
| In case no appeal is taken from the
order, or in case the appeal is not sus-
tanned, the order goes into effect at
the time fixed in it, which must not
be less than 80 days from the time of
service upon the carrier. In case any
| carrier or any Of it's officers or agents
order, it or they shall be fined $4,000
for each offense, and I'm case of a con-
tinuing violation, each day shall be
considered separate offense. This
| provision. by giving to the order of
the commission the effect Of the decis-
ion of a court, will enable the COM
mission to protect the public from any
wrongs, which an examination may
show it is suffering at the hands Of
| the carriers. AT the same time no
injustice is done the carrier, since an
appeal to the Supreme court of the
United States always lies in it's hands
and it is here that the life. liberty and
property of every citizen finally rests.
The commission are further author
ized to prescribe the form in which
the carriers shall keep their accounts,
and to inspect the same by their au-
thorized agents, much as National
banks are now examined, and any fall
sifcation Of such accounts is made
a misdemeanor and punished by a
heavy fine"
1t will be observed that this bill is
based upon the theory that the inter-
state commerce commission, If it eX-
lists at all. should have something def
mite to do and should have power suf-
fcient to enable it to do it. We con-
slider this theory sound.