The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-20

roads cannot be trusted to deal fairly in matters of transportation betweep themselves and their competitors in an outside business. The new law makes radical changes in the matter of the publication of rates Under the old law, by means of what was called the midnight tariff,' a railroad company gave favored shippers advance infor- nation of a contemplated reduction of rate and immediately restored the old rate when these shippers had protnted by nox it: IadrtS.d Thirty days, any change in the rates unless the commission, for good cause, modifies the requirement.
 "Again, the new law enables the com mission to prescribe uniform system of accounting for railroads. Under the old law the commission could call for a report of the railroads and might ask questions of railroads, but 1t had no way to compel a compliance with its request. and no penalty was pro- yided in the law for failure to make the full report. Under the new law, annual reports must be made under oath. and penalties are prescribed for failure to file them with the commits sion within certain time. The com mission can call for monthly or spe- cial reports. It may prescribe the book keeping methods of the carrier and has access at all times through examiners to the carriers books. The carrier Is forbidden to keep any other books than those prescribed. The commissions ali- thority, under t-.e new law, over inter state commerce railroads is thus in many respects like that of the Comp troiler of the Currency over national hanks, which has s.ie approval and con-
 Never before was there such a united opposition to any national meas ure as they instituted against the rate bill. A campaign of education was l. s.- avery part of the country. and litera- Gure was showered upon the members of every community, with the hope of convincing the public that the bill was & dangerous innovation.
 The objections urged against 1t were three: First, it was said to be un- wise because 1t was a departure from the lassez faire doctrin of as little government as possible, and was a long steD toward socialism and government ownership.
 'sThe revelations of infidelity to trust obligations in the insurance investtga- tons l. New York, the fraudulent dis 0rimina lions in the traffic of the coal carrying roads disclosed by the inquiry made by the Interstate Commerce Com bates on an enormous scale granted the Standard oil Company Jy the rail- roads in the report of Mir. Garfield. as Commissioner of Corporations, over came Sucn SpSCIohs al uulShI' cEo- ated a strong public opinion in favor of a radical remedy against all dis honest corporate practices. and held up the hands of those supporting the bill,
 XncOmpetency of Commission.
 "The second ground of opposition was that a tribunal like the commission was utterly unable to fix rates,-that the fixing of rates was such a difficult mat ter, that only the expert traffic mana gers of railroads were competent for the work; and each rate was so connect ed with others tn. it was impossible for abody of laymen to reach a safe and every other that it was impossible for a body of laymen to reach safe and just conclusion in respect to any one