The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-02-23
KNOX PRESENTS HIS
 RAILROAD RATE BILL
ACCORDED UNUSUAL PRIVILEGE OF READING BY THE
 SENATE.

Exceptional Interest shown--Mr. Knox
 Snys He Does Not Expect Interstate
 Commerce Commission to Do More
 Than Consider the Measure as Afford-
 ing Light on the Question of Court
 Reyfew-DetaiIs of the Bill.
 Washington, Feb. 22.--Mr. Knox's much discussed and long expected rate bill was introduced in the senate to- day, and because of the exceptional interest in the subject was accorded the unusual privilege of a reading at length for the information of senators on the day of introduction. Close att tention was given to the reading of the bill In a brief statement Mir Knox said that he did not hope to have the committee on interstate commerce do more than consider the bill as afford ing light on the question of court re- view of the finding of the inter- state commerce commission.
 The bill provies that all acts of con- gress, and the provisions of this bill relating to interstate commerce, shall extend to all common carriers engaged in commerce to which the regulative power of congress extends under the constitution of the United States by the transportation of persons or prop erty wholly by railroad, or by the transportation of persons or property no aVtI 1aty, nd ff1t htf ttro ter, when both are used for 8 continu- ous carriage or shipment. Said pro- visions shall also extend to all the fa- cilities and instrumentalties connect ed herewith to which the regulative power of congress extends whether owned or provided by the carrier or not
 It provides that all charges of what ever nature shall be Just and reason- able. When a rate is unreasonable the commission shall order 1t reduced, and when reduced such reduced rate shall be the maximum to be observed by the carrier and when the commission shall order practice to be changed, it's or der shall be observed by the carrier '"
 The review provision Is as follows:
 Section 5-That the orders of the commission, except orders for the pay ment of money, shall take effect within such reasonable time as shall be pre- scribed by the commission, and shall continue for period of time, not exceed ing two years, as shall be prescribed in the order of the commission, unless
 
 suspended or set aside by order of a court in a suit to test the lawfulness of said order; but any carrier, person or corporation party to the proceedings affected by the decision of the commits sion as to the rate or practice covered by the complaint or by its order pre- scribing a different rate or practice, and alleging either or both to be violation of its or her rights, may institute pro- ceedings against the complainant and the interstate commerce commission in the circuit court of the United States for the district in which any portion of the carrier or carriers that were parties to the complaint may be located, sitting as a court of equity to have such ques- tions determined, but in no other way shall the lawfulness of such order be questioned, anu in all such proceedings the court shall have power to make orders to secure the appearance of par ties from any part of the United States, and the existing laws relative to evil dence and to proceedings under the acts to regulate commerce shall be ap- plicable; provided, however, that no or der of the commission reducing a rate shall be set aside or suspended by any interlocutory decree of the court with out requiring a deposit of the excess charge or sufficient bond to secure to the parties entitled thereto the repay ment, if the commissions order is sus- tained, of all moneys received by the carrier in excess of the rate fixed by the commission, and the court shall de termine in such interlocutory decree what practices shall be pursued by the parties pending the litigation in order
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