New-York tribune., 1909-02-23
BOARD HAS MADE GOOD
WORK OPS. COMMISSION.
Upstate Organization an agency tor
Enforcing Square Deal.
rBy Telegraph to The Tribune

Ar-ar,- reh 22-Nerchan nts and shippers %
freight in this state have found I'm the Pubhc -
vice Commission for the 2d District al "7-
for rh- enforcement Of the square deal from 'ie
"a alroads and are telling the commission 80 N'''.
Corruarlsou oI the conditions existing '"' 90
ago with those existing now Is MADE 10y '''e'"
most with wonder. In somewhat less Ll''i ~
rerfod THIS commission. consisting o. FRANK W
stevens Thomas NJ Osborne Martin : petNel'
James r SaEue and John b. O!msted, mas Jusl''.er
in that one department alone. without coiS'1 =
OF her important work, the great powers E'''
al- the Hughes law. Such good results nave -
achieved that recently the Merchants ASSo1'a w,
asLe6 for q general investigation OF the eNtleS9
business hoping the commission WoGio oe a.
there also TO reduce charges and reform "ou
Without resortiug. save in rare cases 10 i'N
rreu7e pover the final order and collection ol Pti
ties for violation by legal action TINS
has brought about revision OF tariff schedules Win
correction Of overcharRes, the refundlne ol nun
collected on obviously high rates ana - IN
whereby every shipper or merchant can op'-''
Information regarding applicable 70 ms Dui
ness and il he desires them. bulletins from 'le
commission Of any change in those rates
Perhaps one Of the most valuable phases OF ths
work has been the establishment OF be''eI ui"''
standing between shippers and railroads IN place
Of a spirit of somewhat unreasonng hostllN' nv
commission mas acted in this valuable work the paII
Of intermediary. rather holding in reserve us "u
thority than emphasizing H. This feature q i''
work caused one the largest shippers IN syracuse
q a
recently: Il consider that the moral inhueh'e ol
Tho -ou7rn fesior has been OF Calcuabie Nalue-
The Public Service Commission succeeded IN i'e
scheme Of railroad regulation. The state ftairo8u
Commission was organization which had no '"
tion bevond the somewhat empty one OF suggestion
,r 70, concentration and with the best intentions
in the world was utterly powerless to DO "ny'hlhE
toward bringing into existence the conditions "i'''
SUGGESTED Some Of the notable results have been
a practically new tariff schedule for Northern Ne"
York with an average reduction of /" 10 ia ~
cent. and IL many instances OF 4 i'ucl
amount the withdrawing by a! ralToauS Ieai''7
into Buffalo Of an advance on the milk rate the re-
s.i,zfr,, n an order bv the railroads that every
niece ,f freight shipped must be marked, the eS-
= slisrr7ent OF a system Of refundtns o'ercharErS
without permitting any railroad 10 make S"'H pay
rll.qts the means Of secret Tebating.
The commission has built up an elaborate 'dIiH
bureau. with system Of indexes which renders 1t
-,sst,.re r,r that body TO furnish inquTers the
rate on anv commodity article or class oi ar
tices from any shipping point TO all others III the
state with comparative rates on different routes
more than routing - desired t~ach ral'Iodu
is required TO file with the commission ITS COM
tete tariff schedule itenized joint and through
r,-aS An Investigation is now being conducted into
The condition Of the tariff schedules on file al the
stations of the various railroads II has been iouhu
that some Of these incomplete in different re-
spects OGt Of that have grown difficulties "i Va
rious kinds. Frequently the merchants nave hau
their consgnmeuts carried At less than the proper
ra-e and basing their prices that cost have
sold the goods for . lower price than would nave
been profitable If the true freight rate had be"h
charged Then the railroad company having dis
covered its mistake renders bill for the diner
e.ce in freight charges, which puts the mefchah'
into a position OF having virtually lost that much
rnoney This condition the commission deems bad
alike for shipper and railroad, and Is determined
TO rectify it speedily.