The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-12
Interstate Commissioners Flooded
 With Gases
WANT ID TAKE A REST
Commission Is Busy Trying to Get Out Report on the Hartman h. stieaton-safteIy Appli-
 ances Get Attention.

Washington, July u.-(Special) the effort to close up It's pressing business and to round out affairs of the first year un- der the new rate law, tho interstate com merce commission has been devoting It's time practically to continuous sessions in conference this week. The members are anxious to get away for their vacation, the call of the mountain and seashore be- ing strong upon them.
 It used to be quite the thing to be an interstate commissioner, under the old law. It was reasonably dignihed, and there was no particular work to do and no power at all. But under the Hepburn dispensation things are changed. The seven commissioners cannot begin to keep pace with the business that deluges them, and their department Is growing at startling rate.
 Not only has the number of complaints against rates been greatly increased in
 the last few weeks, but a new kind of
 complaint has been getting popular
 These ask money reparation for over
 charges exacted by the railroads. One
 western lawyer Is credited with the lead,
 with 500 pending cases to his credit
 Rushing on Report.
 On the even of breaking up for the
 vacation period the commission is trying
 to rush out. it's report on the Hartman ] Investigation; to Issue circular about the uniform bill of lading which, it is hoped, will be adopted early in the au- tumn; to arrange for handling, receiving | and publishing the monthly, quarterly and 1 other reports which, beginning July 1,
 railroads are required to make to the oommission; and to make some arrange
 ments about the pipe line investigation that was taken up some time ago. 1t has already appointed the committee to in- vestigate the various railroad safety ap- pliances that are on the market.
 There Is every indication that in the
 second year of operation of the new lew
 the number of complaints and general vol ume of business under 1t will be vastly
 greater than in the first year. There was | some wonderment during the first half of the past year that the complaints were | not more numerous. It is now reasonably | apparent that one reason was the limited
 knowledge which shippers, shippers asso-
 ciations and lawyers had of the signii- canoe and possibilities of the new law. | Basis for a Rate.
 In an opinion handed down today for | the interstate commerce commission, the
 rule is laid down that while rate fixed | by rate statutes CT a state commission.
 "is naturally and properly entitled to re- spectful consideration, has no greater sanctity, as applied to interstate traffic, than a rate established by railroad com | pany, and this commission would not hes | itate upon proper evidence that a rate 30 established would be unjust, either to 3 | carrier or to a shipper, to refuse 1t, as d l basis for fixing an interstate rate.' The opinion In which the foregoing an | nouncement was made was in the of | the Hope Cotton oil company against the ! Texas and Pacific Railroad company and | the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and South- | ern Railroad company The complaint all l legged that a joint through rate of CT cents l per hundred pounds on cotton seed in car | loads charged by the defendants from | points north of Shreveport via Texarkand | to Hope. Ark, was unreasonable and dis 1 crminatory and that r 5-l0 cents per | hundred pounds would fair rates After | the complaint was filed, the defendar ts | put Into effect a joint through rate of | 30 cents per hundred pounds. The corr mission holds that the 3O-cent rates Is un- | reasonable, and that 1t should not eT- ! ceed IT 5-10c, which is the sum of the local | rates The carriers are ordered to put the reduced rate in force before August 6.