The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-12-22
ADVOCATE CHANGES
IN REPORT
INTERSTATE COMMERCE CON-
MISSION MAKES SUGGESTIONS
TO CONGRESS. f -.-

Washington Dec. Recommends
lions for changes in the present law
regulating transportation companies
are contained in the 23d annual report
of the interstate commerce commission.
Transmitted today to congress.
Notwithstanding the recommenda-
tons made. however the report i'm this
respect is notable rather for what it
does not contain.
Five of the suggestions made by the
special committee selected bv Presi-
dent Taft to draft changes in the cx-
listing interstate commerce act are Of
fered in the report. II is known that
the commission. as body. favors the
plans proposed by that committee. but
as matter of courtesy it has re-
Trained from discussing the changes
in advance of the special message on
the subject. which President Taft has
indicated he VIII send to congress
The commission expresses its con-
viction that certain amendments to the
present law are necessary to enable 1t
fully to accomplish the purposes IF
congress. Briefly summarized. the
proposed amendments are as follows:
Physical Valuation.
Nat Al piis Sitsti NdllIdtlDn ne made
of the interstate railroads of the coun-
try which shall be binding upon the
courts and the commission.
THAT the commission be given DOW
or 10 prevent advances in rates or
changes in regulations. or practices to
the disadvantage of the shipper. pend
ing AN investigation into the reason
ableness of the proposed change
tablish a joint rate and through route
is limited to cases where no such route
exists and the commission recommends
that this limitation be stricken out of
the law. so that it may establish
through route wherever. upon inyes-
tigation, 1t is found desirable"
a further recommendation is that
in certain instances the shipper be
permitted to direct the intermediate
routing of his traffic. also that the law
be so amended as To give the COM
mission undoubted authority To enter
corrective order as the result of an in
vestigation instituted by the commits
sion upon its own motion.
The commission again calls tn the
attention of congress the increasing
Importance of some form of federal
1'h'ioi oAtf iailoiu CstlitdHZdtIhH
Operating Revenues.
The annual report of the commits
sion from the carriers show that for
the year ending June 30. 1908. the
gross operating revenues of all rail-
roads in the United States We're
$2,i61, 521 ,si5. and the operating in
come derived by subtracting operat-
ing expenses and taxes), was $685.
41S321. 49,
- For 1909 -tira operating revenue was
s., 494. ls.5S9. and the operating in
come $1i2.9S7.1sl. indicating an in
crease for 1909 of S325.529.244 in gross
earnings and sss.56S.S70 i'm net earn
ings The average number of miles
operated i'm 1908 was 22S,1G4 and i'm 1909
$4,000. The large increase. in net as
compared with gross earnings is ac-
counted for by a reduction of operat-
ing expenses i'm 1909 below those of
1908 of s5s,224.9SS.
The report indicates that a larger
number of formal complaints was filed
with the commission i'm 1909 than in
1908
Since December /, $685. IS inaict-
ments for criminal violations of the
interstate commerce law have been
returned and II prosecutions have
been concluded.
Fines Collected.
The fines collected unlar in +