Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-14
Interstate Commerce Commits.
sion Asks Authority for
That Purpose.
WOULD GIVE FULL HEARINGS.
Should Enlarge Terms Trans
uortation' to Include Charges
For Various Services.
p,oerent Devices for EyadiDg the Ell
kins Act Have Been Introduced and
Actual Payment of Rebates Made.

washington, Dec. IA. The nineteenth
annual report of the interstate COM
merce commission was transmitted to
Congress today.
In previous reports the commission
has repeatedly called attention to the
necessity for certain amendments and
additions to the present act to regulate
commerce and in this report the COM
mission sets forth the general reasons
for proposed amendments contained In
The form Of a bill. which has been sub
mltted to the senate committee on IN
terstate commerce in compliance with
a request therefor, and this bill Is
printed as an appendix 20 the report
The most important amendment Is dele
cation of authority to the commission
10 determine what rate should be SUBJ
stituted for the future In place OF one
found, after full hearing, 10 be UNI
lawful. with the further provision that
the order OF the commission prescribing
such substituted rate shall take effect
within q reasonable time, unless va
Gated or set aside by judicial proceed
ings
The commission recommends that the
phrase under common control. man
agement or arrangement in the first
section of the law, be omitted. This
would make the regulating statute APP
ply to certain classes OF carriers now
exempt from its application and re-
quirements.
The definition In the first section OF
the term. Transportation" should be en-
larged SO as to include the charges for
various services, such as refrigeration
and the like, which are now claimed
TO be beyond the authority OF the com
mission. The obligation 10 furnish and
provide the services here referred to Is
tlso proposed, which Is likewise a point
low IN dispute. 1t is not recommended
4 this time that the carriers should
re prohibited from using private cars
or from employing the owners of such
cars to perform the icing service If they
ma that course to their advantage,
but the commission does recommend
ihat these charges should be put on
me same basis AS all other freight
Nnarges, so far as they can be.
The commission has held that the
present law requires the publication
ana maintenance of export rates and
mat good policy also demands the same
course In View of the fact however
'-''' ~ ~''No bNNll 'tAl litNlly lilSiSttu tnal
the enforcement OF this rule would serI-
0usly Interfere with our foreign busi-
ness. especially In the handling of cot
ton through southern ports and of GER
IAN imports and exports through Pa
enc coast ports. the commission de-
tlded to suspend action until Congress
had opportunity to consider and act
upon the subject. The commission pro-
poses, therefore, that the sixth section
De SO modified as to plainly include this
species Of traffic. but that the commits
SION be given power to suspend and
modify the requirement in this respect
whenever that may seem necessary in
The public interest.
II Is stated that not only have Varl-
GUS devices for evadlng the Elkins law
been brought into use, but the actual
payment Of rebates as such has been
here and there resumed. Instances of
this kind have been established by con-
Nincng proof, on which prosecutions
have been commenced and are now
tending.
The report shows that 6s complaints
were filed with the commission dur
ing the year. including both formal ana
informal proceedings. The number Of
Investigations on formal complaint In
stltuted during the year is 60. involving
directly the rates and practlses of 1921
carriers.
Forty-hve decisions have been rem
dered during the year. This number,
greater than in any previous year. in
Cludes cases of unreasonable rates, dis
elimination between localities, between
commodities and between persons, and
also in facilities % transportation. with
some cases involving departure from
published tariff rates and some relating
chiefly TO reparation,
According to the customary prelimi-
nary report on income. accounts the
gross earnings of 752 companies, oper-
ating a mileage Of 2l4,477 miles for the
year ending June 30, 1905, were $2,073,-
1885. The gross earnings from OPP
eratlons averaged 1856 per mile OF
line. This average is considerably
higher than the like average for any
other year for which n statistical re-
port has been published by the COM
mission.
The preliminary report shows that
these companies declared dividends
during the year to the amount Of $780,
oSO,231, and the dividends declared by
practically the same roads during the
year 1904 were slsi.3l3,472. II should be
borne In mind however, that the pre-
llmlnary reports are confined to the re-
turns OF operating roads only, and so
'Acluue all dlVldendS declared by sub
sidlary companies, the property Of
which Is leased 20 others for operation
For the year ending June 30. 1904 the
hnal statistical report showed that the
total amount OF dividends declared BY
an the railway companies covered ny
that report-that s both operating and
leased lines-was S92l, 94i ,oi9.
II is stated that within the past year
decided Improvement has taken place
m the condition OF safety appliances on
all roads subject TO the provisions OF
the statute.
The commission SAYS that the need ~
o high standard OF physical and mental
condition for certain classes OF employ
IS and care on the part OF supervisory
officers to see that proper regulations
are maintained and obeyed Is quite
generally recognized and a considerable
number of railroads have prescribed
rules limiting the number OF hours Of
work and providing rest periods. but
these rules appear 10 have been very
poorly enforced.
The commission again urges the
passage OF block signal law to pre-
vent rear-end- collisions, which are the