The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-18
Stickney on Making.

Mr.. Stickney's exposure of the bust
ness Of railroad rate making not only
reveals how determinations and rebates
have been made, but emphasizes clearly
the duty of the interstate commerce
commission to supervise publication of
railroad rates and require uniformity in
the form Of publication as well as sim
'plicity of statement. Mr.. Stickney con-
tends that rate sheets should be issued
substantially in the same way that Of
fetal time tables are published, the old
sheet being taken up and destroyed
when new rate is made and an en-
tirely new set of schedules published in
it's stead
What he aobjects to particularly is
the practice of railroads of issuing sup
Elementary sheets and leaflets without
number modifying existing ratesheets
in various details until the mass of
published matter pertaining to rates is
so great and in the confusion on ac-
count Of new rules of application,
changes in classification and special
rates made good for limited periods,
the whole question of rates is SO COM
plicated that no one but an expert can
make anything out Of it. 1t is thru
this system. or rather lack Of system,
of "scientifc ratemaking''- that, &C.
cording to Mr.. Stickney's estimate, re.
bates to the amount Of billion dollars
have been allowed to favored shippers
during the last fifteen years, while dur
ing that time penalties amounting to
only SIS, 1000 have been paid where cases
Of actual discrimination have been
proven by the records.
With such slight chances of the de,
lection and such remote danger Of a
penalty, it is no wonder that the efforts
Of the government to prevent discrimi
nation by secret rebates have been
practically without result. The rate
sheets are in such state Of confusion
that even the managers themselves are
often unable to detect discrimina tions
which they might be inclined to avoid
Mr.. Stickney g remedy is the publ
cation of rates in book much as the
time cards Of the railroads are pub
lished in the official railway guides is
sued monthly, and he contends that the
rates can be made to be as easily as
certained as the time Of arrival or de
parture of train.
The chairman Of the interstate com
merce commission admits in general tn,
truth of President Stickney's charge O:
failure on the part of the commission t.
require uniformity of rates and tn,
publication Of them in the manner in
dictated, but thinks some modification
of the Stickney plan ought to b,
adopted to begin with---that instead O.
requiring the roads to reprint their. en-
tire schedules every time they made
change they should be permitted to is
sue sno more than five: supplemental,
sheets Or amendments, after which re
publication Of the, entire schedule
should be required. This would doubt
Hess minimize the possibility of GOV
erihg' up rebates and determinations b,
special rules, notifications Of rates an,
supplementary Sheets with fine prin
footnotes calculated to create oppo1
tunities for special rates to favored
shippers. But however the matter ma,
be adjusted, the country is indebted t.
President Stickney for his exposure o
the unseientife, sunsystematic, haphaz
zard system of rate-making, whic
makes it impossible for the shipper t
I know when he is paying an establishe
rate and when he is not suffering iron
discrimination in favor Of some activ
competitor t%. s2f r