Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-12-24
RAIL COMMISSION
ASKS MORE POWER
INTERSTATE BODY MAKES VIGOR-
GUS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
CHANGES IN LAW.
PHYSICAL VALUATION NEEDED.
Report Declares Some Method Must Be
Devised to Meet Contentious
of Carriers ,..-.
REBATING is NOW DECREASING

WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec, 21--V;g-
orous Recommendation for changes in the.
present law regulating transportation
companies are contained in the twenty
third annual report of the Interstate
commerce commission transmitted TODAY
to the congress.
Notwithstanding the recommendations
made, however, the report, in this respect-
Is notable rather for what it does not.
than Tor what it does, contain. Five of
the suggestions made by the special COM
mittee selected by President Taft to draft
changes in the existing Interstate com.
merce act are offered in the report II i.
known that the commission. as a BODY.
1aVorS the plans proposed by that COM
illItee' but, as a matter of courtesy, ir
mas relralned. in its report. from dis
cuSSlng the changes in advance of the
SPECIAL message on the subject which
PRESIDENT Taft has Indicated he will send
to the congress.
Proposed Changes in Brief.
Inc commission expresses its couvic-
ton that certain amendments to present
law are necessary to enable it fully to
accomplish the purposes of Congress.
Briefly summarized, the proposed amend
That physical valuation be made Of
the interstate railroads of the country.
Inc commission points to the difficulty
experienced IN certain cases where its
orders are attacked in court in meeting
The testimony as to physical value offered
by the carriers, and says that if its rates
are to be defended, some method must be
furnished by which n value can be es-
tablished which shall be binding on the
courts and the commission
The commission again suggests that it
De given power to prevent advances in
rates or changes In regulations or prac-
tees to the disadvantage of the shipper,
pending an investigation into the rea-
sonableness of the proposed change. 1t
is stated that where rate has been in
effect for years it is presumably reason
able and that there would be no hardship
on the carrier in giving the commission
authority to require continuance of the
rate until opportunity had been afforded
to investigate the proposed advance
The commissions authority to establish
Joint rate and through route is limited
10 cases where no such route exists. and
the commission recommends that this lin
ltatlon be stricken out of the law. so
that it may establish through route
wherever upon investigation it is found
that the public necessity and convenience
require such action.
More Federal Control Needed.
The commission again calls to the at
tention of congress the increasing i'm
portance of some form of federal control
over railway capitalization and expresses
the opinion that adequate legislation upon
this subject is required by the interests
involved.
Since Dec. /, 1908, thirty-five indct-
ments for criminal violations of the inter
state commerce law have been returned
and forty-tw prosecutions have been con-
cluded Practically all of the prescott
lions were for some form of rebate or
concessions. The fines collected under
these indictments aggregated 1904 233 81.
The opinion is expressed that violations
of the law, such as rebating in one form
or in another, is decreasing