Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-09-29

The executive committee of the in
| tefstate commerce law convention has
| issued Q circular to the commercial
| organizations throughout the country,
| asking support in securing further
amendments to the act to regulate
commerce. The committee says: THE
| EIkins bill as enacted at the last ses-
sion Of congress relates wholly to the
prevention of discrimination between
individuals by departure from publish
ed tariff rates, or by offering or grant
ing, soliciting or accepting, and re-
bate or concession therefrom. 1t con-
tains no provision for the prevention
of unjust discrimination in tariff rates
between different localities or sec
tions, or in the classification of freight
| or between car load or less than car
the continuance Of rates unreasonable
in themselves. These abuses can be
remedied only by investing the COM
| mission with the authority prescribed
in the first section of the bill, and it is
| the belief of this committee that by
concentrating it's efforts upon this one
provision, with the active co-opera-
ton of the various commercial bodies
of the country interested in the move
ment, its early enactment may be Sc
cured.''
The first section, which was strick-
en- out. provided that the commission
shall determine, upon full hearing Of
all parties in interest, what change in
a rate Or practice found unreasonable
or discriminatiye shall be made to cor
rect the wrong, such determination to
become Immediately operative, subject
to review by any circuit court Of the
United States having Jurisdiction. The
second section, also stricken out, auth
orized the pooling of traffic or earn
I
Citations, under the supervision of the
commission.
Although there is much talk all over
the country of further legislation
against railroads on account of con-
: gestion, inadequate service and high
rates, there seems to be much oppo-
sition to giving either national or state
commissions any more power than
they have at present, as it is felt that
It is estimated that IS per cent. of the
commercial organizations would be
opposed to granting further powers
to the interstate commerce commits
sion
The executive committee of the in
terstate commerce law convention
claims to represent 11S national, state
and local commercial organizations,
but many officials of these organiza-
tions say that they do not represent
the views of the majority, and point
to the fact that there has only been
one meeting Of the convention held,
which was at the Planters hotel, st.
Louis, November 20, 1900 They state
that there was much dissension at that
meeting. Mr.. e. p Bacon, chairman
of the executive committee, advocated
the passage of Gov. La Follettes rail-
road commission bill in Wisconsin
last April, which would have placed
the rate making power in that state in
the hands of the railroad commission.
The opposition, however, was so strong
that it failed to pass.
There will be strong opposition, it
is said, among shippers to placing the
rate-making power in the hands of the
interstate commerce commission, as
| they contend that it would take months
to secure action through the commits
sion, where it is necessary for busi-
ness reasons to have a decision in
days ad they express much doubt as to
the commissioners being able to pass
! on matters of detail in such volume
which now engage the attention of
hundreds of expert traffic men all over
the country throughout the year.
Il Suit Against coIored Masons.