, 1905-02-01
ON BILL
0CONTR0LR RATES
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON INTER-
STATE COMMERCE REPORTS
COMBINATION MEASURE,
Consists Of the Esch and Townsend
Bills With Amendments from the
Notice That They Would Present
Davey Bill With Minority Report.

r
Washington, Feb. 1.-Tbe house
committee on interstate ard foreign
commerce, by a party vote, has author
lied a favorable report to the house
on a bill extending authority to the
interstate commerce commission to fix
rates, increasing the size OF the com
mission from five to seven members
and creating a court of transporta.
ton The bill is a combination of
the Esch'Townsend measure, with
amendments taken from the Hepburn
bill. The action of the committee was
reached after sessions lasting practi-
cally all day The democrats gave
notice that they would present the
Davey bill in the house with a minor
ity report. Mr.. Townsend subsequent
ly introduced in the house the measure
agreed on in order to have it printed.
h bill as reported contains twenty.
two sections. Sections one and two ex-
tend authority to the interstate COM
merce commission whenever, after full
hearing, it has declared any existing
rate for the transportation of persons or
property, or any regulation or practice
whatsoever affecting the t~ransporta-
ton of persons or property to be IN
or ministry discriminatory
to declare and order what shall be a
just and reasonable rate, practice or
regulation to be charged, imposed or
followed in the future in place of that
found to be unreasonable Or unjustly
discriminatory, n the order of the
commission shall of its own force be
come operative thirty days after notice
has been given to the person or per
sens directly affected thereby.
When the rate substituted by the
commission shall be a joint rate and
the carriers fail to agree on the appor-
tionment thereof among themselves
within twenty days after notice of
such order, the commission, after full
hearing, may issue a supplementary
order declaring the portion of such
joint rate to be received by each a
rier party thereto, wnicn shall take
effect in its own force as part of the
original order. subject to review like
the original order.
Sarti,p . maEac oil procaaJipyc no
fore the commission, including the rec
ord of evidence, findings and records
of the commission, a part of the rec
ord in the case, to be sent to the court
of transportation within ten days aft
err notice for review has been given.
Section 4 imposes a penalty of a
ties violate the rulings of the commits.
sion made under sections l and 2 of
the bill.
Section 5 defines the word person to
include corporations.
Section 6 increases the membership
of the commission to sever n makes
'ie S"ioS u Sa'h Pio'Vop sSoi'
Section 7 establishes the court of
transportation, to be composed of five
circuit judges of the United States, nc
two of whom shall be from the same
judicial district.
Section s provides that this court
shall hold four regular sessions a n
nually in Washington.
Section 8 authorizes the president
to appoint five additional circuit court
Judges.
Section 10 grants the court of trans
~portation exclusive original jurisdic-
ton.
Section II extends to the court of
transportation all the powers of a cir
cult court of the United States so far
as the same may be applicable.
Sections 70 and 10 relate to evidence
before the court.
The court of transportation is CIV
Ell power to summon before it all par
ties named as respondents or defen,
= .. =.
soop'en"S ma"
10 any Judiciai ois'fie' Ut any 'erri'oiy
or possession OF the United States.
Section IA declares the court of