Omaha daily bee., 1906-10-16
MORE RULlNCSON RATE LAWS
Copies of Contracts for Division of Joint
Rates Must Be Filed with Commission.
EXCURSION RATES FER CONVENTIONS
Provisions for Reduced Rates Do Not
Apply to Officials of Government,
Army. Navy or Their
Families.

WASHINGTON, Oct. IA series of or
ders was issued today by the Interstate
Commerce commission relating chiefly 10
to the construction of section g. of the
Gently enacted railroad rate law. In sub
stance the rulings follow:
A contract, agreement or arrangement
between common carriers governing di-
vision between them OF Joint rates on in
terstate business is contract, agreement
or arrangement in relation to traffic, within
the meaning of section of the act to reg
ulate commerce, and copy thereof must
be filed with the commission.
Where a joint rate is in effect by a
given route which is higher bttween any
points than the sum of the locals between
the same points, by the same or another
route, such higher joint rate may; until
ducing the same to the sum of such locals
but not otherwise, upon posting one day in
mailing a copy thereof tn the commission
Rates for Excursions.
Rates for a series of daily excursions,
such series covering a period not exceed
ing thirty days, may be established upon
notice of three Gays as TO the entire series,
and separate notice of the excursion on
EACH day covered by the series need not
be given.
Round trip tickets on the certificate plan
may be issued at reduced rates and their
use be confined to the delegates of a par
ticular convention, or to the members ot
a particular association or society upon
the condition that a certain number OF
such tickets shall be presented for Validd-
ton for return trip before the reduced
rate for return trip will be granted to any.
The commission suggests that the rule
should provide that not less than 100
tickets shall be. presented for validatiou
for return trip before reduced rate viii
be granted TO any. Round trip tickets
on certificate plan may also he issued to
government employees going home TO vote
and returning to their employment
The provisions OF the act relative to the
issuance of free tickets, free passes, free
transportation or free carriage to employees
of carriers apply only to persons who are
actually i'm the service of the carriers and
who devote substantially all Of their time
to the work or business Of such carriers.
Land and immigration agents unless they
are bona fide and actual employees. repre-
sentatlves of correspondence schools,
pnnies, agents of oil or lubricating com
panics etc, are not within the classes to
which free or reduced rate transportation
can be lawfully furnished.
Employees of Carriers.
But the committee does not cOnstrue the
law as preventing carrier from giving
necessary free transportation to person
travelling over its lines solely for the plr-
pose Of attending 10 the business OF or
performing duty imposed on him by the
carrier. nor from giving free carriage over
its lines to the household and personal eff
fects OF an employe who Is required to re-
move from one place to another at the in
stance Of or in the interest of the carrier
by which he is employed. Nor does the
commission construe the law as preventing
a carrier from giving free or reduced rate
of carriage over Its line to contractors Tor
material, supplies and men for use in CON
struction. improvement or renewal work on
the line Of that carrier: Provided, such ar
rangement for free or reduced carriage is
made a part OF the specifications upon
which the contract Is based and of the con-
tract itself.
The provisions of the act relative to the
issuance of free or reduced rate transporta-
ton to ministers of religion do not apply to
or include members OF the families of min
listers of religion. Neither do the provisions
Of the act relative to the Issuance Of free
or reduced rate transportation admit OF inv
Guiding therein officers of the government,
the army or the navy. or members OF their
families, or other persons TO whom such
consideration may have been extended In
the past, unless they are within the classes
specifically named in the act.