The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-17
COUNTRY CLUB RECEPTION
Commissioners Will Hold Session This Morning and Will Then Elect offi- cers for Ensuing Year-Last
 Nights Proceedings.

here in their special train about o'clock via the Louisville and Nashville railroad for points la the south with the City of Mexico as sheir final destination. The morning session yesterday lasted
 for nearly four hours. Last night anoth- CT session was held in the city council chamber a. the city hall where all of the business sessions have been held. Both sessions on yesterday were devoted to hearing the reports of committees, and discussions following the reports. officers are to be elected today and the next place of meeting is to be selected. Yesterday mornings session was called to order apout 10 o'clock by President John V Smith. The association inIned- lately went into the consideration of the papers offered by the committees.
 Electric Railway Expense. The first paper read to the association yesterday morning was the report of the committee on classification of operation and constructing expe.-se of electric rail- ways It was read by w. W. Morgaridge. assistant .lperintendent of the Penn sylvania Bureau of Railways. The re- port follows:
 Your committee appointed on classihca- tion of operating and construction ex- penses of electric railways submits the 1ol- lowing report:
 In pursuance of a resolution adopted at the ninth annual convention of the Ma tional Association of Railroad Commits sioners, held in St. Louis, a committee Of three consisting of Hon. William o. Sey- mour of Connecticut, Hon. Ashley w.
 Cole of New York and Hon. R. s. Kayler of Ohio, was appointes to prepare a form of classification of the construction and operating expenses of electric railways
 This committee .-3d the cooperation of a committee representing the Street Rail- way Accountants association of Amer ica and as a result of their labors a standard system of street railway ac- counting, covering the classification of construction an equipment accounts and cl ssification of operating expense ac- counts, was adopted at the convention held at Denver Col, in 1899. This classi- fcation has been adopted in the states of New York Illinois, Connecticut, Penn sylvania Virginia and Massachusetts.
 So far as your committee knows, this system has given general satisfaction, and we have no suggestions or changes to offer Your committee recommends It's adoption by all the states requiring re- ports from street railway companies and we also recomm, the use of the stand ard form of report for electric railways adopted by this association st it's conven- tion held in Portland in July, 1905. Committee on Legislation. Judson c. Clements of the interstate commerce commission read the report of the committee on legislation. It fol- lows in part:
 A report on legislation to this convention should embrace the subject of state as well as interstate railway legislation The subjects of state regulation. whether accomplished, or desirable for greater uniformity in matters where harmonious action is needful. though peculiarly ap- propriate for consideration of this asso- citation, have been generally omitted in committee reports on legislation This is doubtless due to the overshadowing importance of needed legislation for ef- fective regulation of rates and facilities pertaining to the vast volume of inter state traffic. These often substantially affect the rates and service In connec- tion with commerce wholly within one state.
 A comprehensive report upon the pow CTS of the various state commissions has long been needed. The interstate com merce commission realizing the value of
 
 lished a twelve-year review of state rail- way regulation up to and including the year 1902. This Is an appendix to the sixteenth annual report, but printed sep arately. and Is here made part of this report by reference. The size of this paper will not allow it's embodiment in this report. but 100 copies have been brought to the convention for distribu- tion by the secretary upon application If errors of statement be found therein they should be pointed out for greater accuracy in any revised edition that may be issued. It is further suggested that this association might we'll devote some time to a general discussion of the sub jects of state legislation relating to rail- way regulation. thus giving the same place in it's permanent records.
 Complaint Among Shippers. There is much complaint among ship | pers of the failure of carriers to furnish cars for moving freight and of the great increase of time consumed in transporting I the same. Growing out of these conditions | there has been considerable agitation and | discussion of what is termed reciprocal | demurrage. It Is claimed that if car | rier can take much greater time to trans- | port and deliver freight without any al- lowance to the shipper, 1t is inconsistent | dHd uHldlT lu require the SNlpper 10 pay | demurrage on account of delay in load | ing or unloading his traffic. As to these | points, no recommendation should be | made in advance of their discussion by | the convention, and such expression of | opinion as would constitute the basis of | intelligent and fair action It may be stated, however, that there is no definite | requirement in the federal statutes for carriers to furnish cars to a shipper. and l the only method wherby he can obtain | damages or other relief under the act to regulate commerce is by showing uniust discrimination in the furnishing of ear l facilities by the carrier in favor of otber shippers.
 | Whilet there are many other matters ot greater or less importance which roipbt be mentioned, the chief defect in the svs- tenn of federal regulation is the lacl. of public control over the rate in issue The power of the interstate commerce com mission to investigate and obtain fnfor- nation is full and this power has recent va been most emphatieai;y affirmed bv the United States supreme court in a pro- ceeding brought to compel the testimony of a number of recalcitrant witnesses in a proceeding pending before the commits sion.
 To Prescribe Reasonable Rate. That there shall be no misconception. | it should be again stated that the pres- ent public demand Is not that the fed eral commission shall fix whole tariffs of rofoa m fha first insfanca at anv