Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-10-12

ment of the Interstate Commerce act.
! providing that no increase or discon-
tinuence OF IN interstate rate shall be
permitted without opportunity to pro-
test being afforded and upon hearing
and determination as to reasonable
ness, when objection Is made in adj
vance of the new rate becoming ef-
fcctlve. BEYOND such an amendment
the state commissioners do not think
there should be any change In the
new Railroad Rate law until sufficient
time has elapsed to allow the new law
To be thoroughly tested.
They do not believe sufficient time
has elapsed TO bring out the weak or
strong parts of the law. They do he
licve that ut least one defect has been
clearly demonstrated, and this Is the
defect which they would like to have
lromodled by the above amendment
The object CT me proposed amend
mcnt is to prevent the unjust rates
being put into effect. Sentiment is
particularly strong In the northwest
I IN favor of m amendment of tns
character. because tne Interstate Com
mcrce Commission Is said to be power
| less now to prevent such n rate being
! put in force and left In force without
n hearing and decision Respecting its
lrcasonablencss.
yellow Pi:ic Cases Cited.
The history of the yellow pine cases
of the South is pointed out in this
connection. In those cases rates had
for years been collected amounting to
millions of dollars. The United States
Supreme Court not long ago decided
,.,t, In A
and during the past summer applca-
ton has Dcen made to the Interstate
Commerce Commission for money re-
paration from The various Southern
railroads. amounting to fully $3.l00,00G.
Many of these claims for reparation
are barred . the statute OF limitation.
and. although the rate which the SUI
prone Court declared unreasonable
was exacted and collected from the
shippers. those who are barred by the
statute of limitation cannot collect
the amounts which they were unrea-
sonably charged.
AT the present time the northwest
crn states nre troubled with an in.
crease on lumber rates, which directly
AFFECT one-thrd of the population of
the Pacific coast the increase amount
ing TO $3.50 thousand feet oil lum-
Der. Discussing this increase the
state commissioners hold that the
shipper should have had an opportu-
nifty to be consulted before the rate
became effective.
Blow to Lumber Industry.
With tho western commissioners the
lumber increase is not so much a
question of paying exorbitant rates.
II is regarded rather rs n question in
volving the paralysis of one of the
greatest industries of tho Pacific
coast Assuming that the increase in
the lumber rate IS an unreasonable
one the western commissioners CON
tend that the immense business that
has been butt up there during n Sc
ries of years will be tied up by the
high rate. that the customers OF the
Pacific coast lumbermen will be lost
and there Is no remedy under exist
ing law. For this reason the western
commissioners favor yesting the In
terstato Commerce Commission with
the power of saying that rate shall
not be advanced, If objection Is made
by the shippers until the commission
has had an opportunity to hear the
complaint before the rate goes into
effect.