Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-04-17
FIRST REPORT OF
RATE COMMISSION
DOING MUCH ON PROBLEM OF
TRANSPORTATION.
SOME NEW LAWS NEEDED
No Radical Changes Suggested but
Amendments of Minor Importance
Many Complaints Adjusted With
out Being Brought to lssue-Much
Pioneer Work Done

The state railroad commission yes
| terday issued its first biennial report
1t sets forth in detail the procedure
followed by the commission, the work
it has accomplished in the matter Of
complaints and original investiga-
| tons, all the formal and informal
complaints which were heard and dis
posed of by the commission, sugges-
tons for changes in the present law.
and detail statistics relating to the
organization and management of rail
road corporations within the state.
in the opinion of the commission
the most satisfactory results, outside
of actual original investigation. have
been accomplished by the commission
in the large number of complaints dis
posed OF by informal procedure. Dur
ing the two years of operation under
the present railroad commission law,
80 for'-ial complaints and 557 informal
complaints carle before that body. OF
the formal complaints 62 We're dis
posed of without ruling by the com
mission, in informal conference or by
means of correspondence. This is re-
garded by the commission as perhaps
its most significant achievement In
the opinion of the commission. the
best results can be obtained by re-
sorting to informal methods of pro-
cedure wherever possible and to fall
back upon formal proeeediL gs only
when other methods have failed The
commission wishes to state unhesi-
tatingly that. aside from it's iLdepend-
ent investigations. the work of these
informal conferences is the most i'm
portant which it has accomplished
It seems from the language of the
report that the commissioners are not
disposed to exercise their powers I'M
less there is an absolute demand for
such a display of force In their opin-
ion the mere lodging of drastic pow
ers with the commission has in itself
the desired effect The commission
says 1T has exercised these powers
! W HtuGAGI anu wherever AtC6SSdIN-
But the mere existence of a commits
sion with such powers in itself pro
lmotes fair dealing on all sides in
matters relating to transportation
Much Pioneer Work.
A good deal of the work done by
the commission, it appears, has been
pioreer work for which no tangible
results are as yet at hand, At the
same time the commission is blazing
the way along the line of statistical
tests and tabulations of rates which
will be of inestimable value in deter
mining the reasonableness of rates
by mathematical tests as far as this
can be done ir 54oh a manner. The
report refers to large number of
analyses ard tabulations made in the
last two YEARS. I'VE make this ref
erence,' they say, TO the statistical
and other work involved in every
Iquestion of rste-making in order that
it may be understood why certain
questions that have come before the
commission have not been disposed of
as expeditiousIy as some others.
When all these basal processes have
bic to deal with similar questions in
the future with much more facility"
Though the commission is of the
iopinion that no material changes are
necessary in the law, for the purpose
of assisting it in carrying out the
great work it is suggested that further
Legislation be had. all embodied in
ten recommendations
New Legislation Suggested.
1. The jurisdiction of the commits
sion should be extended to street
! railways, or else it should be limited
: more, because at the p 'esent time the
exact jurisdiction of the commission
is matter of doubt.
2. The law should be made specific
on the subject of who shall stand the
expense in connection VIII spurs and
, side-tracks.
3. Assessors reports regarding rail
ways in their respective districts are
now unnecessary and should be abol-
ished
A. The office force of the commits
sion should be subjected to readjust-
, ment and additional help supplied.
5. Attention is called that there
may exist a necessity for weigh mas
ter to do away with complaints about
the manner in which carload freight
weighed
g. All actions should be commenced
in the circuit court for Dane county.
Z. The time should be specified
within which an order of the commits
sion relating to the construction OF
depcts must be complied with.
s. Every corporation doing business
in this state should be required to file
la verified list Of its stockholders upon
demand Of the commission.
8. Legislative sanction should be
; igven for the publication Of the formal
matters coming before the commission
: outside Of the biennial report. If the
Importance of those matters warrant
such publication.
10, The statute on penalties and
lliquidated damages should be amend
ed as it is of doubtful validity in its
present shape.