The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02
RAILROADS MUST OBEY LAW.
INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMIS-
SION WILL ENFORCE IT.

Is Orders VIII Hereafter Have the Force
of Law Until Reversed BY the Courts
-The Commission VIII Not Interpret
for railroads or Others Affected by IL.
WARRINGTON. Sept. lit will probably
h. several DAYS before the Interstate Com
,rerce Commission will make a formal
rsoly 10 the request OF the railroads and
.xnrers companies for an extension Of time
IN which to file schedules Of rates. In the
mearw hile the members OF the commits
son refuse to answer any questions Al to
what action they are likely to take.
we really do not know" said Commits
sioner Cockrell; the matter has not come
no vet. / cannot say when a meeting will
he held TO discuss Il. Just at the present
time we are pretty busy attending to other
details relating to the enforcement Of the
railroad regulation act"
On September - the commission will
hold a hearing!in the matter OF the applica-
lion of the cotton carrying roads for IN
order allowing a change Of rate on export
cotton without the thirty day notice re-
onired by law. All the MEMBER OF the
commission will then be in Washington,
and about the middle Of the month it In
believed they will get together and canvass
the new law in all its qualifications.
The railroads, the express companies
I'D all others affected by the new act giving
the orders Of the commission the force
and effect Of law unless and until reversed
by the courts will have to depend upon
their own interpretations. The Goverl-
rnenr will not do i; for them.
GO ahead and obey the law, Is the in
junction Of the commission. Consult
YOUR own counsel as to Interpretation.
Onicial Interpretation will come from the
courts.
For many years prior to Tuesday last,
when the new law became effective, the
Interstate Commerce Commission was a
helpless body. 1t was tied hands and feet.
Having thu authority to issue orders On
complaint against the railroads, it had no
power 70 enforce them. The commission
vas the target Of the facetious, and whsn
the Departmeht Of Commerce and Labor
was created a legislative humorist tried TO
have the commission tucked away into the
Department as a bureau. This plot a
fooled. Now that the commission has claws
II announces that IL may Use them II the
carriers ont obey the law. IL virtually
sits back on its launches and tells the rail-
IVubN W ~ DN'y oAA W oOCNH VI
you'll get the worst Of it,"
Thousands Of orders have been issued by
the commission directing railroads TO COR
rect abuses complained Of by shippers.
Moet OF these were ignored. Now they are
coming up TO plague the carriers. Most
Of the complaints filed since Tuesday cover
cases that have heretofore been made the
subject Of decisions that were not worth
the paper they were written on.
That the commission will he charitable
toward the railroads at times and will once
in a while forget past wrongs was shown in
its first ruling under the new act-that
relating to shipments Of ice over the Boston
and Maine Railroad TO Boston and other
points in Massachusetts,. Application was
made in this case for permission to change
a rate on Joe without thirty days notice.
The shortage Of the ice crop n an I'M
satisfied demand for the product in Massa-
chusetts were the reasons given by the
carrier for the desire TO make a change
in rate within less than the thirty day period.
The commission granted the request
Of the railroad, and will probably waive
the thirty day requirement in all cases Of
emergency
The principal complaint received by the
commission to-day was from the Merchants
Traffic Association. q corporation doing busi-
ness under the avs OF Colorado, with head
quarters at Denver. The roads named as
defendants are the New York Central, the
New York. New Haven and Hartford, the
Pennsylvania. the Erie, the Atchison and
numerous other carriers engaged in inter-
state transportation Of property by con-
tinuous carriage or shipment over other
lines between New York, Providence. Phil
adelphia. Baltimore and the city OF Denver
and other points in Colorado. v...-
IL is set forth that on shipments OF cotton
and other cloth products from Atlantic
coast points to San Francisco a lower rate
Is charged by the defendants thar on like
shipments to Denver. For the longer
haul cotton. canton flannel. c~alicoes, &c,
are carried for 81 in carload lots and for
81 so in tees than carload lots. TO Denver,
a short ar RAUL by hundreds of miles, a
rate Of n 70 on carloads and less than
carloads is exacted, il is alleged. The
commission is petitioned to have the de-
PENDANT carrier show cause why this "un-
just discrimination" should not be cor
recfed.
Numerous inquiries are being received
by the commission as to when the anti
pass provision OF the law goes into effect.
This feature Of the act will become opera
tive on january 1 next. Il il generally
believed that il has teeth in il and that
the free ride on the railroads has passed
into history. Under the original inter-
commerce act the issuance OF passes
was prohibited, hut Congress Thought
lessly failed to provide a penalty for such
violations Of the law. Both the Official
who issues a pass and the person who ac-
cept6 II, under the new order OF thinRa.