The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-28
RAILROAD RATE LAW
EFFECTIVE TODAY
The Much Discussed Measure
Is Now in Full
Operation.
WHAT is EXPECTED
OF THE NEW BILL
Committee to Confer With Com
mission With Regard to
Certain Provisions.

NEW YORK, Aug. 27.-The new rail
road rate law, which applies to all
railroads doing interstate business, will
go into effect at midnight tonight 1t
viii be enforced by the Interstate Com
merce commission. According to the
new law the roads were to have fled
with the commission by midnight all
their tariffs and charges, showing not
only the full cost of transportation
from point to point, but also what
items go to the making up of this cost
From tomorrow on there can be no
"extras,' but the shipper is expected
TO be able TO obtain in advance a final
statement of the charges he has to
meet.
Committee to Meet Commission.
II was stated that in fact rot q single
company has been able to comply fully
with the provisions of the law requir-
ing them TO have all their schedules on
file by midnight. The schedule of
switching charges was the most diff.
fcult of completion and it is said that
no road has been able to finish ii in
time to file as the law directed. Under
the law every company which fails to
complete its schedules NAV be fined, but
it is understood that the Interstate
Commerce commission will give addi-
tlonal time in every case when a road
has given evidence of sincere intent TO
comply with the law.
To discuss this and other points. a
committee representing the big Eastern
railroads will go to Washington tomor-
row in order to meet the commission.
This conference will be attended by
representatives of the anthracite coal
roads, who are anxious TO obtain n rul-
ing from the commission on that section
OF the law which prohibits railroad
from carrying from State to State any
article manufactured, mined or pro-
duced by it except for its own use.
This would include coal,
One Charge to Shippers.
1t is expected that shippers will find
themselves benefited by the provision
which requires the railroads to include
all charges of whatsoever nature in
their quoted rates. Heretofore q ship
per has had to figure for himself on
icing, refrigerator and elevator charges
and the dozen or more other incident
ais, dickering with the separate com
panies which had hand in transpor.
tation or care of his shipment Now
the railroad must do that, and the ship
per meets but one charge and deals
with but one concern. All the sources
of side charges are consolidated, and
private cars, side tracks, spurs, termin"
ais and elevators are made subject to
the law.
The new law also requires the rail
roads to establish uniform system of
accounting and to keep their books
open for inspection at all times by the
expert accountants Of the commission.
The feature is expected to go far to-
ward abolishing the rebate evil of the
past. The railroad accountants are
now conf prrinp in regard IN the mi form
system of bookkeeping, which however,
will not 60 into effect until June !
next year, In the meantime the com
mission has put It's own experts at
work devising a system which will be
clear enough to suit the commission.