Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-11-28

is also a generol penalty of not less
than 500 nor more than 10000
provided I'm case OF violation or apy
provision of the act for which a PEN.
atty has not been provided. or for the,
violation of any order or require-
ment of the commission or order or
decree OF court made on appiica>
tion of the commission.
IL would seem that such an act
had been needed by the people OF
Oregon. Daring the eight months.
since its passage nearly $50 mat
,ters have come before the Commits
hion for investigation and adjust.
ment. It Is true that some OF these.
We're trivial In nature that more cf
them we're of interest To individuals
only. but a considerable number af-.
fected whole communities and indus.
tries. and several have involved the.
interests of a large section OF tho
state. And with regard 10 complaints
affecting tho interests of individuals.
we would say that we consider lt
,one OF the most benefcient features
OF the law that a small shipper can.
without expence or unnecessary de-
lay. have an equitable adjustment
OF his difficulties with the railroad.
That the commission has been ablo
TO attain this result with some sue
cess is indicated by the fact that so
per cent OF the informal complaints
have been adjusted. or the remain
der 80 per cent. were dropped by tho
complainants who did not desire TO
press them. and o per cent. mostly
OF recent origin. are pending.
The Commission has been active
in many lines. and has caused many
salutary changes in service It ls-
sued an order requiring the bullet
ing OF delayed trains, and posting
OF n schedule showing time OF arr
rival OF all trains Another order
regulates tho hours depots ana tic
ket Offices shall be kept open. and re-.
quires that adequate toilet facilities
be provided at stations and on trains
and that stations be clean. warm.
welI-lIghted and supplied with pure
water.
Besides these general orders. the
Commission has made orders ins
special instances OF great import-
ance. In one case Il required tho
running OF local train 10 take care
OF the traffic between certain points.
and In another specified that whea.
a throngh train was two hours iats.
an extra train should be run on It's +,
time. IL has ordered the erection q,
OF a depot. the building OF switches,
and spurs. the lighting OF depot plat
forms.
Thirteen formal complaints az 20
rates have been iIed. Two were
adjusted and dismissed without
hearing. one being proceeding
which involved approximately one
half the passenger fares. and both
are now voting decision by the In
terstate Commerce Commission. Four
hearings resulted In orders fixing
rates. and the orders have been COM
piled with and the new rates put In
effect Three cases have been par
italy heard and two are yet TO be-
heard. One OF these rate cases In
wolves the distributive rates on The
oregon Railroad a. Navigation com-
pany's line out OF Portland and "a
OF far-reachlng effect
One OF the most important fea-
lures OF the law 60 the shipper ts
the clause providing for the payment
OF demurrage by railroads when they
fail 20 furnish ears within a spori-
fed time. This section OF the law
Is practically self-operative aud tho
intereession OF the commission Is not
needed 70 secure its benefits 10 tho
shipper Since the adoption OF this
law by Oregon the State OF WASH
ington has passed a cimilar law and
California f. contemplating like ac-
tion.
II should not be understood from
the provisions OF the law quoted
above that the people Of oregon are
imbued with a hostile spirit toward
the railroads. Public opinion In this
state. however. as elsewhere. has
a decided change In tho
last ten years, and Intelligent regu-
lation OF railroads Is believed to be
not only possible. but absolutely ne
cessary. There is no inclination 10
treat the railroads anfairly but tho
must be able 10 enforce
its demands. To large extent the
OF the commission is 10 act
a. an arbitrator between tha hail