The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-01
First Year of Operation Has
 Just Ended
PUBLIC HAS BEEN GAMER
Relating Is Stopped and Many Reduc. lions In Tariff Rates Havo Been Made as Result of New Reg
 ulatlons In Effect.

Washington. August l.-(Spccial )-De- spite tho attempt to minimize by Sem ator Foraker the interstate commerce commission has found that many results beneficial to the shipper have come from the railroad rate law, which became oper- alive year ago last Wednesday. Tho commission has summarized the benefits already apparent as follows;
 l. It has brought about equalization of rates.
 2 It has reduced many tariff rates.
 g. It has had B moral effect upon rail- road administrations which has resulted tices of law.
 1. It has ended rebates.
 D. It has done away with a great many discrimnatons which have been ns in- furious as rebates to the unfavored ship per.
 6. It has insured the adoption of d uniform system of accounts and book keeping which, when perfected, will throw light upon railroad administration and permit small investors to exercise judg- ment when ntrusting their money to tho pIoIlOldl5 Ol STtHb TAllNdY 6llltI pIl6cs.
 These results have only been secured from the patient investigation the inter- state commerce commission has given to the numerous questions which arise under tho lagssand which frequently have taken the foFfA of eonfsiaints
 Roads Benefit, Too,
 Tnousants of complaints have been re- QaiVaH which bnVp dealt with cevable phase of railroad operation and adlninistra Jon. Chairman Martin j. ! Knapp of the seonmisstoa has stated that in his Judgment the new law has bene- | fited the rnilroeds to small extent and | the peoplr trelusndousl,s. Tho gain to railroads has followed fa mIs,s abolition Of the custom of granting passes, by the stoppage of rebates and by the adoption of greater honesty of administration. The gain the people have derived is not so obvious, and this probably is respon- sble for Senator Forakers assumption that they have had no advantage what soever from the new enactment
 The first benefit to the public has fol- lowed from the equalization of rates Necessarily 1t is for the highest import ance that all shippers shall be treated on exactly the same footing. Before the passage of the law discrimination was the practice hence the develop ment of such great monopolies us the i Standard Oil. Tobacco. Steel and other trusts.
 Following the approval of the new law it was necessary for all railroads to re- wise their tariffs. with the result taht inequality was abandoned and actual re- duction in the cost of transportation re- suited.
 Public Escapes Increase.
 The country has just witnessed the spectacle of a number of states reduce ing rates on traffic In their respective jurisdictions. The effect, of course, was to make the joint rate higher than the sum of the locals. The interstate com merce commission has stopped this prac- tice by adopting rule that the joint rate shall not exceed the sum of the local rate
 Attention is called to the fact that there Is and has been a tremendous in- crease in railroad expenditures during the last year, and there is not the slightest doubt that had not the new law per mitted the commission to reduce q rate which was excessive the railroads would have increased their charges, thus com polling the public to bear the cost of ad- ditional improvements and operation.