The San Francisco call., 1903-12-30
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.

~ NCE the Interstate Commerce Commission
| submits to Congress a report dealing
~ with the difficulties i'll the way of enforcing the
law than with the successes attained under it. The
mission finds that matter how earnestly it seeks
enforce the law the railway companies find always
of evading it. 1t appears that nothing less than
power to deal summarily with guilty parties will
enable the commission to put stop to the practice OF the
companies of giving special privileges to certain ship
pers at the expense of others.
The commission says: Tariffs published and
filed generally observed, but in cases the
tariffs themselves so framed and contain such pro-
visions permit preferences without departing from
their terms In addition to the chances thus afforded OF
continuing the evil practice of granting discriminating
rates, the Elkns law, which designed to put
end such favortsm has had the effect of increasing
railway charges, and thus, the report says, has oper
ated intensity whatever wrong i'll the tariffs
themselves" Thus while the law has been beneficial in
some respects, it is still far short of what is required
AS an illustration of the methods by which the rail-
roads continue grant rebates favored parties with
violating the law, the report gives the following
The salt industry in Kansas carried by the Hutch
inson- Kansas Salt Company, popularity known the
combine trust, and by independent operators. 1t
indicated by testimony that salt rates from Hutch
inson, Kans and similar territory the Missouri River
generally maintained previous to the spring of
1902 but since that time the named in the tariffs
have charged The Santa Fe. Missouri Pacific and
Rock Island systems all having lines leading from
hutchinson made joint tariffs with the Hutchinson and
Arkansas River Railroad Company covering the
portation of salt Missouri River points, and of
the tariffs applied to other points we'll This Hutch
inson and Arkansas River Railroad Company while in
corporated, does operate any railroad any
equipment, but it does switch tracks sid
ings adjacent what is known the Morton Mill owned
by the Kansas Salt Company. This railroad company
received under the joint tariffs rs cent of the rates.
but exceeding so cents per The persons who
control this railway company those in control of the
socaed salt trust and they receive the benefit of the
division accorded the Hutchinson and Arkansas River
Railroad Company. 1t testified that so a
represented fair profit the producer. and that the
trust selling salt under contract at the Missouri
River at price with which the independent operators
could compete This price drove the independent
operator of that business and would have been
made had this division been given the Hutchinson
and Arkansas River Railroad Company"
The report goes to say, There is to be-
leve that devices of this frequently esorted
to-" An amendment TO the law is therefore imperative
unless it be the intention of Congress to leave the
mission powerless against unscrupulous corporations
The issue is to be met by Congress, for the commits
sion says Inprevious reports the commission has care
fully pointed the amendments deemed essential and
and it is unable to add anything of value the ptesen
taon heretofore made It's duty in this regard has been
performed"