The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-08-07
ORDER FAVORS
SMALL SHIPPERS
May Combine Their Freight to Secure
the Benefit of Lower
Rates.
VERDICT OF THE COMMISSION
California Complainants Win Case
Against the Express
Company.
OF THE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, July 27-According
to a decision today by the Interstate
Commerce Commission shippers may
combine small quantities of freight oil
various ownership, either by arrange
ment among themselves or through
the medium of forwarding agency,
and ship the combined lot at the rela-
lively lower rate applicable to large
shipments.
The Commission decided in favor OF
the smaller shippers upon the ground
that the ownership of property ten
dered for shipment cannot be made a
test as to the applicability as to car
riers' rates. The interstate commerce
law forbids discrimination between
shippers, ana the fact that one ship
per tenders a "bulked shipment made
up of property of various ownership
consolidated before delivery to the car
rier, will not justify the carrier in
making a different charge than for a
shipment of a similar character ten
NSIeu ny d ShlppSl WIZ 10 "lSO IlAN
owner.
This decision was made by Commits
sioner Lane, based on a complaint by
the California Commercial Association
against Wells, Fargo & Co., the eX-
press company refusing to apply its
quantity rates to shipments which con-
sisted of a combination of packages OF
various ownerships, rendered at one
time and one place by a single con-
signor and consigned to a single con-
| signee under one bill of lading.
THE enforcement of such a rule
the Commission says, we feel safe in
| saying, would do incalculable injury
| indeed, it would so affect Transports
of revolutionary. No practice has be-
come more firmly established in the
| transportation world than that of com.
! bining small quantities of freight oil
various owners and shipping at the
! relatively lower rates applicable tc
large consignments, and under this
practice has developed an immense
volume of traffic which otherwise coulC
not have been brought into being. Il
is not an eXaggeration to say that the
enforcement of such rule by the car
riers of the United States would bring
disaster upon many of the smaller in
dustries and more surely establish the
| dominance of the greater industrial
and commercial institutions"
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion today issued a statement to the
| effect that without waiting for the
filing of complaints it will institute al
! investigation of its own motion for the
purpose of determining whether ad
vances in freight rates are justified.
! The Commission the statemen
says, has no authority to suspend {
proposed advance in rates, and cal
order reduction of the advanced rate
only as the result of an investigation
after the advanced rates have become
effective, but the Commission, Will,
it could make no order prior to thu
actual advancement of rates, has al
most unlimited power of investigation
and it is understood that if the tariff
filed with the Commission show gen
eral increases the Commission, with
out waiting for the filing of the for
nal complaints, will institute an in
vestigation on its own motion for tn
purpose of determining whether or no
the advances are justified. Such gen
eral information would enable it t
handle promptly any complaint wlic
may be filed against advanced rates
The Commission is having a clos
check kept of all advances in freTgh
rates"