Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-22
URGES CHANGES
IN INTERSTATE
COMMERCE LAW
FIVE SUGGESTIONS OF SPECIAL
COMMITTEE APPROVED
COMMISSION RENDERS REPORT
TO CONGRESS
Wishes Power to Prevent Advances
in Rates or Alterations in Reeu-
lations or Practices Pend
ing Inquiry
Associated Pressl


w WASHINGTON, Dec. M.-Recom-
w mendations for changes in the
" present law regulating the trans
portation companies are contained in
the twenty-third annual report of the
interstate commerce commission trans
mtted today to congress.
Five of the suggestions made by the
special committee selected by President
Taft to draft changes in the existing
Interstate commerce act are offered in
the report. It is known the commits
sion, as a body favors the plans pro-
posed by that committee, but as a mat
ter of courtesy it has refrained from
discussing the exchanges in advance OF
the special message on the subject,
which President Taft has indicated he
will send to congress.
Briefly summarized, the proposed
amendments are as follows:
That a physical valuation be made OF
the interstate railroads of the country
which shall be binding on the courts
and the commission.
That the commission be given power
TO prevent advances in rates or changes
in regulations or practices to the DIS
advantage of the shipper. pending an
of the proposed change.
Joint Rate Power Limited
The commissions authority to estab-
lish a joint rate and through rate is
limited to cases where no such route
exists and the commission recommends
this limitation be stricken out of the
law, so it may establish a through
route wherever upon investigation it is
found desirable.
A further recommendation is that In
certain instances the shipper be per-
mitted TO direct the intermediate rout-
ing of his traffic; also that the law be
so amended as to give the commission
undoubted authority to enter cor
rective order as the result of an in
vestigation instituted by the commits
sion on it's own motion.
The commission again calls to the
attention of congress the increasing I'M
portance of some form of federal con-
troll over railroad capitalization.
The annual reports of the commission
from the carriers show that Tor the
fiscal year ended June 30 1908, the gross
operating revenues of all railroads III
the United States were $2,461, ,52l, ,S45
and the operating income derived by
substracting operating expenses ano
taxes) was s656, ,41S,321.
For 1909 the operating revenue was
| 50. .494 5S9, and the operating income
! S742, ,9S7, ,191. indicating an increase fol
/ 1909 of S32 ,594,244 in gross earnings anc
! SS6,56S, $40 in net earnings.
The average number of miles ope
rated in 1903 was 22S164, and in 1909 i
was 233,002.
The large increase in net, as COM
pared with gross earnings, is accounted
| for by a reduction of operating ex'
| penses in 1909 below those of 1908 ol
| $59, ,224, ,9S3
The report indicates a larger mum
ber of formal complaints was filed Will
the commission in 1909 than in 1908.
Since Dec, l, 1908, thirty-tive indict
ments for criminal violations or th'
Interstate commerce law have been re-
| turned and forty-tWO prosecutions nave
| been concluded. The fines collected
under indictments aggregated $5O4'
233s4.
The opinion is expressed that viola
/ tions of the law such as rebatlng II
some form or another, are decreasing.
Some account is given Of the proceeI
| ings during the year in the enforcement
/ of the safety appliance law, and tn
commission states the results are graf
! flying -,,...
| The number Of men killed in coupllhi
land uncoupling cars for each 1000 EN-
ployes was three in 1898 and one Il
| 1905 while the number Of injuries 70
each 1000 men employed in this service
was II in 1898 and 16 in 1908.