The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-01-07
ROADS
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tlHTgRsTArE COMMERCE. oon-
hs'se,on nA,<Es ,rs An
& e nuAl R1poRT.
WORK I / *. Was ! HEAVY

S8S8 &S ss esss# n sgg 5StG4a
.s-.l-
pselarss the RailnDads Observed the
Hepburn Act lsabor of Commission
Va More Thsn DoubleaaLar arps
Number y Orders Made and Hear
'ns. Held Dur'nt ear. I..5.
Washington, JAM More signm.
cant and important perhaps than any
OF the statements5an the twenty.nrst
annual report of tfe interstate com
merce commits ssion which was trans,
mitted to congress- spday is that relat-
ing y to the attitude pf railroad officials
toward W the new railroad law. In a
discussion Of the OPERATION Of the act,
the commission say
" BY railway man Eers almost with
out exception, the lmended law has
been accepted 81 gdsds faith and they
exhibit for the most part a sincere
and earnest disposition to conform
their methods to- ita eQuirement
The commiss sion dds that it was
not expected that rsforms could be
brought about without adif1culty or
delay but II ~ qnestionably the
fact that greater pfdagress has been
made and that further Improvement is
clearly assured: ToSa gratifying ex-
tent there has been establishment of
rates and Of abuses BY the carriers
themselves Z ,.
Methods and usages Of one sort
and another, which operated to indi-
vidual advantage, have been voluntar-
ily stopped and II ID noe too much to.
say that there IL nova freedom from
forbidden Mscriminatt tt,nsswhich ID ac-
tual and general to 4 degree never
before approached. As this process
goes on, and favoriti1 mceases to be
even suspected, the Indirect, but not
less certain benefits pf the law Will
become more and more apparent"
Improvement in Transportation.
Resp setting other matters. the re-.
port says: II u
fssssIItt IL ID this sgenera1 4 marked i'm;
provement in transpor ortation condi-
tions that the commission observes
with qualification. The amended law
with it's enforceable remedies, the
wider recognition of It's fundamental
Justice. the quickened sense Of pub
lie obligation on the part Of railroad
men, the clearer impression by ship
pers OF all classes that any individ-
lal advantage is morally as we'll as le-
5ally indefensible and the augmented
influence OF the commission resulting
from its increased power, all have
combined to materially diminish Of
tensive practices Of every sort and
promote the purposes for which the
aw was enacted" s 355S .s85 Al
Since the new rate law became ef-
'ective on October "a, 1906, the com
mission has granted relief in the form
II corrective orders IN many cases.
Until November 4, 1907, the commits
lion rendered decisions in 105 con-
ested cases under the act. In only 45,
Il these cases orders were made
against the defendant carriers: In IS 4
he complaints were dismissed and In
he remaining is o orders were made.
q every instance except one, the or
lers Of the commission were complied
With promptly. In the exceptional
ase the Delaware, Lackawanna &
Western railroad carried the order
nto the United States court, but
'ending 9 decision by the courts is |
ompl wing with the order Of the com
Mission.
Advances In Rates. N
Two important subjects are dis
used at length in the report, the
ne being the matter Of advances in
ates (which the commission is !,
holly without power to prevent"
nd the other the dreadful destruction
I life in railroad accidents (which
re now the subject of official inyesti-
alton under federal authority" Con
idering the advance in rates which
rests entirely with the railroads."
nder the law the commission sug-
ests that when such advance is at
acked In q formal complaint, the
ommission be given authority BY leg
Station to suspend the operation Of !
he advanced rate until the matter
hall have been heard and determined
nally. ls5, =.
Respecting the important subjects
I congested traf1c and car shortage
he commission says the whole prob |
EN- ''may be said to be due to the
act that the facilities Of the carriers |
ave not kept pace with the CONNER.
ial growth Of the country. One prom
nent railroad president estimates
hat during the period from 1895 to
906 the traMc offered for carriage |