The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1905-12-22
NEED OF RAILROAD LEGISLATION
Some Gross Abuses Prscticed on Help
Less Shippers

The report of the interstate com
merce commission, just transmitted to
congress, repeats numerous recommen-
dations made in former communications
to that body, which have never yet re-
ceived the attention they deserve.
From time to time the commission
has pointed out that it needed more
power in order to accomplish the pur-
poses for which it was created. Its
chief usefulness, so far, has been to
keep the public informed regarding the
determinations by the railroads, the
practice of rebating and other evils of
which producers have long complained.
To some extent this has been helpful,
because it has brought to bear upon the
transportation companies a kind of
moral as well al political pressure,
which they could not wholly resist. But
yet, in many instances, the roads have
defed the authority of the commission,
have virtually laughed at it's decisions
and orders, and done substantially as
they pleased, despite its findings. 1t
has long been evident to everybody at
all acquainted with the subject, that
to exercise proper control of interstate
transportation the commission must be
empowered to fix a new rate, or maxi
mum and minimum rates, where an ex-
listing rate complained of as unjust Is
found, upon due hearing and investiga-
ton, to be excessive. 1t is also need
full to make rates thus fixed by the
commission go into immediate effect,
subject only to such review by the
courts as may be reasonable and just,
but not to the extent of depriving an
order of the commission of its force
and efficiency. This is the power for
which the commission again asks in the
report now before congress.
The commission further asks that it's
jurisdiction be extended so as to cover
the operation of refrigerator car lines,
which are now claimed to be beyond
the scope of its authority. 1t also
duty, on the part of the railroads, to
furnish refrigeration, and that icing
charges be brought under the control
of the commission. This strikes at an
abuse which has long been a grievance
OF fruit growers and shippers in Cali
fornia, and the recommendations of the
commission are manifestly fair and
Just. 1t does not ask at this time tn II
the railroad companies be prohibited
from the use of private car lines, and
yet disclosures that have been made
with regard to the operations of the
meat trust have shown that private ca"
lines are a great evil, because of the
power of their owners to wrest rebates
from the railroads, and to obtain. num-
erous other unfair advantages over
competitive shippers who are obliged
to use these same car lines. Some If
the principal railroad experts in the
country have opposed private car lines,
strictly from the railroad standpoint,
as being decidedly injurious to the best
interests of the railroad companies.
The owners of these refrigerator cars
exact mileage not only upon loaded
cars, but also upon empty cars return
ing to the starting point, and in othar
ways compel the railroads to pay them
more than is reasonable for the service
rendered. It is because of their con-
troll of an enormous amount of freight
that the car lines are enabled to dictate
terms to the railroads.-Silver State.