The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-08-01
Railroads Must
Obey the Law
INTERSTATE COMMISSION ISSUES
CIRCULAR LETTER-REApS
TO ENFORCE RATE
MEASURE.

~ -EAlENNtN- FhfNaNaA-
MEAsuRE
WASHINGTON ~ 81 ~
the date when the new
railroad rate law Il inn go into effect
the trat1c managers OF the railroads
are having trennors times The In
teFstate Commerce Commission has
Just issued a circular letter which g,
calculated TO bring more worry to the
railroad folks: 1t refers to the re-
Gently enacted railroad rate law and
calls particular attention to this para
graph; b
such reports shall also contain!
such inf ation In relation to rates
or regulations concerning fare or
freights. or agreements; arrange ments,
or contracts Affecting the safe as the
commission may require ana the come
mission may, in its discretion, for the
purpose Of enabling 1t the better to
carry out the purposes Of this act, pre-
scribe d period of time within which
all common carriers subject TO the
provisions of this act shall lave, as
near as may be. a Uniform system OF
accounts. and the manner in which
such accounts shall be kept
Them. after quoting the remainder
Of section 20. the commission, in its
statement, says:
"As to that portion Of section 20 OF
the act which confers authority upon
the commission to. prescribe the forms
of all accounts, records, and memors
anda, and which forbids carriers from
keeping any other accounts, records,
or memoranda than those prescribed
or approved by the commission, the
carriers are advised Enat until the
commission shall. by order Or other
wise, prescribe the accounts, records,
or memoranda to be kept by any or all
carriers subject to the statute, no
change in methods Of accounting Is
required of any such carrier. On and
after August 2s, 1906, the authority of
the commission to inspect the books
and accounts Of the carriers will, of
course, apply.
HThe commission fully realizes the
necessity of establishing as soon as
possible satisfactory system Of ac-
counting for carriers engaged in the
transportation of commerce under the
provisions of the regulating statue.
and has determined to proceed immed-
lately in the work of arranging and
preparing for the discharge OF its duty
in the matter of prescribing such ac-
counts, records, and memoranda, and
requiring all practicable uniformity in
the accounting systems of the car
riers.
Henry c. Adams, the present sta
.tistIcian of the commission, win, on
and after August 1, 1906, have immet-
late charge of the preparatory work
necessary to carry out the intention
of the commission to prescribe the ac-
counts, records and memoranda Of
such carriers.
1.-THE attention OF carriers is further
called to the requirement in the
amended section 20 that their annual
reports must be filed with the COM
mission on or before September 80 of
this and each subsequent year, I'M
less additional time be granted by the
commission
A complaint has been filed with the
Interstate Commerce Commission by
]. R. Lucas. of East st. Louis, I'LL,
against the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad Company. in which au alIega-
ton is made that the railroad company
is violating the Interstate commerce
law. ]. R. Lucas is engaged in the
hay business at East st. Louis. He
declares in his petition that the Louis
vile and Nashville Railroad discrtm-
mates against him and other hay
dealers in East st. Louis by exactlng
a rate of cents per hundred pounds
for hay reconsIgned at East st. Louis
for southeastern points. This charge.
he insists, is in violation of the in
terstate commerce law, and he asks
the commission to investigate the mat
ter. and, by an order. put stop to
the determination against East st.
Louis, charged in the complaint.
WHAT DETERMINATION WILL DO.
. v V. Y