Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-08-29
RAILROADS WILLING
TO OBEY NEW LAW
Representatives Of The TranspoP.
ta1on Companies 50 Tell
The Commission.
NO TROUBLE IN ENFORCING ACT
Meeting Held at Washington to Con.
slider Mays and Means of Complying
With the Regulations That viii Put
an Ena to Rebates and olsorlmlna,
tions Against Small Shipper
tBy Associated rress.)


WASHINGTON. u. c., Aug. 2S.-
-Four members of the Interstate Com.
mcrcc Chairman Knapp
and commissioners Clements. Cock.
reIi ana l.ane-were present today Mt
the initial hearing under the now rail
road freight rate law.
The law recently enacted by Con-
, grcss became effective today. Under
It's terms the carriers OF the country
were expected to be prepared today
to meet its requirements and to com.
ply so far as possible with its essen.
tial provisions.
Tons OF Schedules Filed.
Already tons of tariff rate schedules
have been filed with the commission
by the various railroads and common
carrier lines of the country and addi-
tional tariffs are being received by the
commissioner every mail.
The carriers have Indicated To tho
+; commissioii their desire to meet tho
provisions pr the law without unnec.
cssary obstruction or opposition. al.
though they have indicated that, In
/ some respects. II will be impossible
for them to comply with the letter of
the law until such time us the com.
mission shall rule MS t, certain
phases Of the act.
The commission today begins its
work under the operation of the law
which increases the salary. of it's
members from $500 to $40 900 pcr
annum.
Thirty-Four Representatives Present
Inc four commissioners who are in
Washington conducted the hearing In
the rooms of the commission The
trunk line, New England and central
railroads were heard.
Thirty-four representatives of these
railroads, including traffic officials
ana counsel, and eight representatives
OF various shipping organizations were
III attendance upon the hearing. Ev-
cry speaker representing the railroads
/ informed the commission that the
| railroads OF the country had no dis.
position to Law obstacles In the way OF
The laws enforcement. and the speak
ers We'd with one another In assuring
Inc commission OF their intention to
comply with the provisions Of the law
in every substantial particular.
Extension OF Time Asked For.
Is. ID. Caldwell n vice-president of
the Delaware Lackawanna and West.
ern railroad. told the commission that
through conference with the traffic
officials and attorneys OF the various
! lines. they had sought to reach an I'm.
derstanding OF the new law, to the end
That they might be In position prop.
erly to observe 1t. He indicated. how.
| ever, that so many questions had
arisen, particularly concerning the
publication and filing Of tariffs. they
felt they ought TO have an exchange
OF views with the commission. He
suggested that 1t would he necessary
TO have an extension of time In which
the carriers should have opportunity
to file their tariffs with the commits
sion and requested that the commits
sion continue the present method Of
posting railroad tariffs. now general
ly in effect.
Fullest Hearings to Be Had.
he discussed at length the tcchni-
cal features of the rules which were
prescribed by the new law and in
conclusion, dealing with the sugges-
ton that the commission suspend or
modify import and export rates he
urged that no change can be made
In the law until the fullest hearings
snail have been held. He also held
that joint rate Gin which two or
more carriers are intcrested) should
be the subject of concurrence. He
insisted. as did all the other speakers.
that absolute concurrence in Joint
rates of all carriers interested should
be had before the rates wero estab.
lished.
Effect on Cotton interests.
G.. ]. Grammer, vice-president of
the New York Central lines discussed
at length some technical phases of the
law. He said there was absolutely no
excuse for the making of changes in
EXPORT or import rates with less than
thirty days notice, as prescribed by
the present law.
Chairman Knapp called his attention
to the fact that in the moving of cot