The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1902-01-30
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.
Annual Report Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission to
the Congress.
PREVIOUS DECLARATIONS ARE RENEWED
The Feature or the peRort II the
AiHaa#s sensational Statement sa
the Reinfioaa ENistInE Betweea
thc Railroads aud a Campara-
s~yslg Few IiiG shippers.

commission, which WAS transmitted
TO congress, Thursday, renews the
declaration mads s, previous reports
that in lts present condition the act
10 regulate commerce can NOT be en-
forced. As to remedial legislation.
the commission rcnews the statement
made in its previous annual report,
that IL has little 10 Suggcst and
nothing new 10 propose"
The feature oi the report II the almost
sensational statement of tho Fcini0ns ex-
isting between the railroads and a vOu-
paratively few heavy shippers. Refer
rims 30 toe commissions recent inveuiiga-
iicns into the amount Of paekins house
products and of grain and grain prod
1cts. the report SAYS:
'~rhe g=s.s ths=r.:. saa=..=.SssS1 =ss ss =s.Ss:s
character that no thoughtful person can
contemplate them with indlffsfence. Thst
ihc leading trafiic oficials OF many Of tire
principal railway tinea. men occupying
high popltiona and charged with tho most
important dutiea. should deliberately vlo-
late the g,stuic iaw OF the land. and in
50, that II should be thought by them nee
cuuary 20 destroy vouchers and to so
manipulate bookkeepinN as 90 obliterRtc
evidence OF the transactions: that hun
drcds of thousands OF dollars should be
paid IN unlawful rebates to q few great
packing houses. that the business II rail-
road transportation should 10 aucf an OK
tent be conducted IN open dircgard of
law. must be surprising and offensive 20
all right.minded persons. Equally atari
ling al least, - the fact that the own
orH Of these packing houses. men whose
names are known throughout the COM
morcinl world should seemingly h. eager
IN augment their gain with the enormous
amounts n! these rebates which they re-
ccivc IN plain defiance Of a federal stat
ute"
That there arc palllaiing circumstance
under watch railway traffic officials act.
opinion ~ aNpFesaesl that existing laws
should bc 20 amended that railway man
aEcrs who desire 60 obaeryo them
can dc 80 without risk OF sacrificing
their property.
The application of the remedy. the re-
port sayA. Il frauKht with dangers 20 che
public and u should not be applied unless
the puoiic IN fully protected In view Of
been formed. and are now forming. by
which railway competition, which upon
the present theory of this law IL greatly
relied upon 10 secure luN' and reasonable
rates AMI facilities, Will Se largely ellfn-
tnated.kgronss method sh 80 ~ provided
BY wffth tbe goVernmcr can exer.soe, IN
fact that rvu,r9l over iway rates and
operations which courts EithUut nufahcF
have asserted saat Il poaasssea, and which
many persons suppose that it nos exgris
Tho commission believes that the Whole
law should be revised upon some Currcrt
theory and some workable baKis.
act the commission suggeAta that II h
In not possible 10 amend this law In itn
more essential features Il otsGht az leaKt
20 be possible 10 deal with those roerrive
features OF the nc3 which are Intended 10
prevent practices of this character
Referring TO the court decisions that
penalties can not he imposed upon cor
1orationa VIOLATING the act and that only
heir agents can be punished. the commits
ZION says.
Now, the obiec, of rate cutting Is 10
net business and make money, and the
corporation. n anyone, profits BY the H.
lcEal act. n = tho real offender, and
ought certainly 20 pay the penalty al well
Ms its offiGeF. II every Illegal act OF that
character subjected the carrier 20 = sub
ssantiDi forfeiture 80 that the money re-
suit OF The transaction was likely TO be
tho other Wa, the inducemenl to commit
tsaea 4"
Taking up the dimeul,y 81 securing con-
victioBs IN caves OF rate cutting the re-
port aayEi
'sTo convict for paying a sshate II 4.
necessary 20 show, not merely that the
railway company paid rebate TO u par-
NefiisT shipper, but II must also b. shown
snas !, sls no, as., nay ne came rebate @
aafRe hind Of trafiic moving at the same
time undcr similar conditions ThIe Ia
almost always Impossible. Departure
sshish snr H. shassr aas ,ts ,,.ii als thilns
msnt."
!, iz urged that the twentieth section
should be amended ~ ns 10 open tina
books Of the carriers 10 the inspection Of
It's agents, under proper restrictions, 10
prevent the misuse Of information 30 oh
ta!ncd. II is also urged that u the pow'-
ers OF tis. commisgion are not 90 be gem
orally enlarged some method should be-
devised by which such orders as ID can
make may be enforced within a ruasonn-
bic time.
summarizing che results Of it's lnysati-
cation af the handling OF packing ho,,pe
products. the commission says:
''somsiifne rebates we're pnid, some
tinaer the published rate was reduced
when ghS frztgnt money was paid Thr
important fact dlscloaed from the testi-
mnny il that pucKing hDuve products are
hnhituaiiy carried fr1tr pointH % orleln
TO TIE srhisuard at snfee below liae NM
lished tarin 81 fsyo 10 ten eerFz per hum
afeu pouhHss
Then, discussing the avil effects OF thIs
state OF affairs, The report says. 'aIna
commission required the carriers 10 M
statements showing the number OF ears
shsrped ami the rates actually charged
When these are rerelvel the Ksslaa
amount OF the rebates can be determined.
Rt present it can only be ssId to reach
Hundreds OF thousands Of dollars. While
the general public probably receives some
benefit from the frwgr rafeH In the main
these asims swell ;hs profits OF the pack
ers. These great c0searnN nufHser uf,ly
about i've OF SIX. and little distinction IL
the rates npgseas= 70 have been made be-
tween them. The effect Is 20 give them
en- enormous advantage over smaller esont-
ptsftors located at other rdlf.f~. ALREADY
thees cntnpetitqra have uEaalns ceased 10
nant illustration Of The manner IN which
gv7rvs rate CONCESSIONS are tending 10
busln 40 great trusts and s4eserailsA at
the sx sease a ths saAaii Sfsdspahsisat %
The additional sta,emen, d rnaar that
ali Of the traffic efliciaIa wiio admitted
that theNe secret low rates woFw being
given tsse favored shippefH maintained
That IN thc ptiblisaca tasiffs the rates ex-
acted Of tbs smaller shippers we're TOO
low.
The commission found. aiao, In lnrA4ai-
rating complaints fssfda hy wns4rrn f,ssfl.
s-z. that this carriers east of rhlcags
Isade 50 serious prstesse 81 Tsstasasnlas
carglora had aHreaa nnsang themselves sil.-
An a EAle fScm ChieSxo II eeHlz besaw
the pthTishHd tsMiH, fnHiiftng fsl dir.
rTssnsnatiaD - fr8m ~ &C cents againef
ruays The nptn s<arMt .arftf frasa kansas
FttF "a GbtcHuu bAG been n cMnts ans thn
actual rate ~ sp~ az tI.e Se4ss@
Taiins 40 the pfacttes. prevalent ia The
wraf. az ailow5rf EnfssH ra1fscslsAr in4s-
vi1ref y e1nEe194nn which eg1Atsrz lasrz 10
han1le practically All tis1 xrat# trane-
pos7rA upon psrsiraiAx rslir&f ti.s ~.
poft SAYS.
..wnsis thss isvsssiEetscns sg me easn.
fssisHspa have uDt flisr cererHn this w.
pscf of fhA rasr an xe1 Il n y nzster nf !.
euian1an tnfnfnaatfan. ard 80 knam 5rasn
rsneatsG rufnplataza fveHtseS ttat ssfne
cne frxa ur s0fsse une ittstStssrat uusrh2aH
zutzpxnnfiajfx ali tzs eEAau nhir5z s ham
6]ed ~ i given sinn 6f xMiIpay, a0M fhe I
tlaiu Il snad<. nIza The infef&aer a sss
moss \ reps@aafy 4es<. sa&s sss@ nrfn or
fnpNt rer<5xt cD4A<'xs1uH8 !
~ssErn eHahse h a. htoz ~ nfl5s~hid rttsf<s !,
buyers IN the @4xne m4fkct. ThaSe dj1re4-
enl lineH. h nd effu{s 10 ofsalN . H1s1re |
px ti5>x fasslne&m ard 10 a4vit< u VI
ss@x<A&aYr IL 5stvs oHs ~ Au1in4&k The
4yneIi tasex ans - 6F<tAte zff<uah y /
Singas axrSe t4Es<<h - sk<f< g tzls |
~ n ~ - n S u, = - ~