The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-19
RATES FOR PRIVATE CARS.
4 RuIinE of tin" Interstate Com
mission on the Subject.

The Interstate Commerce Commission.
in an opinion by Chairman Knapp. has
announced its decision in the case OF
Spencer F Carr vs. the Northern
Pacific Railway Company The decision
is favorable to the company. and settles
a most interesting controversy. The com
Dlaiuant. a commercial salesman. travels
with his assistant over the defendants
trans-continentaI lines in private car,
stocked with samples of mems clothing
and furnishings For the first trip the
car was transported from point to point,
as the complainant required, for fifteen
round-trip fares between St. Paul, Mimi.
and Portland. Ore: but the company's
charge for subsequent trips was fifteen
local fares from point to point where
stoppage We're made by the complainant
for business purposes. Car alleged this
higher charge to be unreasonable and
also wrOngfUIIy discriminating as com
pared with the lower rate of fifteen
round-trip fares usually granted to pleas
ure- theatrical and other parties in pri-
vate cars.
The company contended that while
there is no substantial difference in the
cost to the carrier in transporting the
compartments car and cars used by the
atriCal or other parties. the dissimiIarity
in the nature and value of the two ser
vices is marked and the benefit ACQUIRING
to complainant exceptional 1t was cited
that Carr used the property of defendant,
its side tracks and station yards. for
| transacting his business. and his occu-
patton is such that ne derives advantages
/ peculiar to himself which are not avail
! able to other owners of private cars
The defendant claimed not to be a COM
! Of
may transport some cars and refuse TO
/ transport others when it sees fit The
Commission in passing upon the matter
ruled as follows:
The regulating statute is opposed to
every species Of favor3tism. and seeks to
secure like treatment for all persons in
like relations to the carrier Defendant
may lawfully decline to haul private cars
at all, or it may haul private cars of one
class ss;ld refuse to haul others OF a Who'll
y difcre class; but if it transports pri-
Ndte cars OF any class, II must in like
manner and upon like terms transport all
private cars occupied for the same or sim
liar pup poses.
acter OF service are substantial. either
III the work performed by the carrier or
III its utility and value TO the person
served, a fair relation of rates meets the
carriers obligation
In comparison with the private car
service more or less frequently performed
{ ~ Atitliu@dtlt IOE pressure seekers ana
theatrical companies. the service demand
| ed by the complainant is dissimilar and
unusual to such a degree that to require
from him greater compensation or TO re-
| fuse his car altogether. would not subject
/ him TO unlawful discrimination or disad-
| vantage
In the competitive struggle 10 supply
consuming markets neither contestant
should be favored through the facilities
furnished or the rates enforced by public
I carriers. This is at once the aim of the
law and the requirement of relative jus
tee The rates charged to complainant
Tor moving his car. while not held to be
reasonable, are not shown to be unreas-
enable 1t is the legal duty of the de-
PENDANT to publish and file its rates and
regulations for the movement Of private
cars, certain kinds of which are more or
less frequently handled over its line