The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1904-12-09
WANT TO MAKE IT
OF PRACTICAL FORCE.
The interstate Commerce Commission
Now Has No Power or Authority
to Enforce It's Decisions.

The Interstate Commerce Con
vcnliOn, which met in st. LOuil
last October, has entered upon
crusade through its executive com
mittec to secure amendments to eX
isting laws that will make the In
tcrstatc Commerce Commission t
body with some force and authori
! ty to carry out its decisions agalus
discriminating and rxacling rail
road rates. When the present in
terstate commerce. law was euacte,
III 1887, it was supposed that j
gave the Commission such anthori
ty aud power, which it exerciseC
for about ten years after its lnstitu
tiou; but the railroads have sine,
secured decisions from the Fedora
courts which practically annul an,
make imperative any decisions o
the Commission in regard to rates
During the last four years mcmor
ials have been adopted by the Ma
tiOnal Live Stock Association, tn,
National Association of Manufuc
turers, National Grange, and or
CARNATIONS representing ever,
branch OF trade aud industr,
throughout the country, calling oI
Congress to enact legislation tha
will compel the railroads to respcc
and carry ont the decisions of tn
Commission.
In his statement TO the lnterstat,
and Foreign Commerce Committee
of the House OF Representatives
bearing upon bill to amend tht
interstate commerce law in this re.
gard, Aaron Jones, Grand MastcI
of the National Grange, gave tn,
following clear aud cogent state
mrnt of the situation:
We have carefully examined tn,
bill and we believe its amendment.
to the original Interstate Commerc,
Act are just, fair aud equitable
and that they will provide the rem
edy that we have sought. THAI
nedy is that when the Commits
sion has examined II ease clearly
aud fully, aud determined it, what.
ever their finding may be, the rail
road companies must obey that find.
ing, and thereafter carry the pro
duet at the rate Of the finding of the
Commission until it has been re.
viewed and set aside by the courts
There is not any other protec.
tl0n that the farming interests OF
this country can secure. We are
handicapped. The value of oul
lands all depends upon the man =
agement of the railroad corpora
tions. The rapid combination and
consolidation Of these roads under
II single management makes il
more imperative at this time, and
more and more fOrcibly is the ne
cessity felt that we should have
legislation, such as we ask now,
than in any other period of our
country's history, because we are
absolutely ut the mercy of the
transportation interests of The
country.
This consolidation of transpor-
tation interests that is taking place
absolutely prohibits, or absolutely
takes away, all the possibilities of
freight rates being regulated by
competitor. If competition is left
free to act and money to be invest.
ed in building roads. and roads to
act independently of each other,
and competition rules and regu.
lates the prices, we have nothing
to say. But such is not the fact
In view of the action OF the rail
road companies themselves, in
placing under single management
over half OF the railroads of this
country, it seems to us that we
haye got to look for the remedy to
Congress. Now, want to say, as
farmer, that grain growing has
ceased to be profitable from the fact
of the excessive freights that are
charged to us. ="
The National Live Stock Asso
citation. in memorial to Congress
makes the following forceful state
ment:
When the present interstate
commerce law was enacted in 1887
it was at least popularity. supposed
and we believe clearly intended
that it gave to the Interstate Com
mcrce Commission after due hear.
lag and investigation, the power t.
say what was a reasonable or un,
reasonable rate aud to enforce it.
| 1ppisions tonrt 1pcisions hay,