The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-12-02
Give II More Power.

Congress will soon convene in regular
session. There is work to be done, as
there always is, as changed conditions
create need of new laws. Among the
gravest problems that confront the ma
tional legislators is that of the rail
roads Commercial bodies from one end
of this country to the other are crying
out for better laws to render railroad
rates just, reasonable and fair.
The necessity of better laws regulat-
ing the railroad traffic was loudly voic
ed in the interstate commerce law con-
vention, held at st. Louis month ago.
The executive committee of that body
is now endeavoring to carry out the
wishes expressed at that memorable
gathering. In this movement there are
associated over four hundred commercial
and manufacturing organizations, the
national grange and seventeen state
oranges of the Patrons of Husbandry.
IICoC NniC OiiC NStotiiSo
Cooper bill, introduced at the last ses
sion of congress, enacted into law.
Such a. law will give the interstate COM
merce commission authority to deter
mine what change shall be made in a
rate or practice complained of, that is
found, upon full hearing of all parties
in interest to be discriminative or un-
reasonable The decision of the commits
sion on the rate would be operative up
on thirty days notice to the carrier and
so continue until overruled by the
courts. If any transportation company
should feel aggrieved at the decision of
the commission, the company could go
to law about the matter and the order
of the commission would be suspended
by the circuit court until the question
was decided.
The Interstate commerce commission
ought to have this opportunity of fix
ing rates, these rates to be the legal
ones unless changed by judicial order. 1t
was thought, when the interstate COM
merce act was passed, that the commits
sion had this authority. The power was
exercised for a period of ten years, and
the commercial interests of the country
were well satisfied with the course that
the commission took This power was,
however, destroyed by the supreme
court, which decided that the authority
did not exist in the hands of the COM
mission to fix rates, because such pow
er was not expressly given by the inter
state commerce act. Now, what is
wanted is a law that will expressly
grant this power.
Under the ruling of the supreme court
the authority of the commission is linn
tied to determining whether or not
rate or practice complained of is just
and reasonable. If the rate or practice
is found unjust or unreasonable, the
commission can merely notify the rail-
road to ''cease and desist" and the rail
road may make just as slight change
as it sees fit.
Secret rates and rebates are evils
whose consequences are vast and far
reaching. Railroad discrimination de-
stroys just and healthy competition, and
creates monopoly. 1t enables one party
to undersell its competitors and drive
them out of the field. Does anybody
doubt that the vast monopoly, the
Standard Oil company, must have failed
to obtain control of the oil market. had
it not been for railroad discrimination?
To be sure, the Elkins anti-rebate law
has done some excellent work in the
way of preventing discrimination be-
tween individuals. Yet it does not touch
determinations between sections, local
tiles and different descriptions of traf
fic, determinations that exist today in
most fragrant form.
/ The executive committee of the St
Louis convention is going to keep COM
missioner at Washington to work for the
early passage of the Quarles- Cooper BILL
A concerted effort is going to be made
in every state to influence senators and
representatives to vote for this measure.
1t will work a reform that is sorely
needed and it is the duty of every citi-
zen to take an interest in the good
work. Commercial bodies, business