The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-01-11

conSoildatlOn at carload rates OF
shipments belonging to different
individuals is unlawful. The car
riers secured from the circuit court
an injunction suspending the order
of the commission during the pen
dency of suit to determine its
.lawfulness. Carriers in southern
and western classification territory
have not in the past prohibited
such consolidation, but transconti-
mental lines have now filed tariffs
establishing the same rule effect
i've January /. The commission is
in receipt of earnest protests from
shippers against such action. 1t is
asserted that $4,000 shippers are
affected by it.
Effective April Is, 1908, in exact
harmony with the decision of the
commission in the case of Cosmo-
politan Shipping Co. VS.. Hamburg
American Steamship Co ct al, a
regulation was promulgated by the
commission requiring that tariffs
applying on traffic exported to or
imported from foreign countries
not adjacent to the United States
must show the rates, fares and
charges of the inland carriers to
the port and from the port in the
United States, and, for good cause
shown, carriers were given permits
mission to make changes in their
rates applicable to such import and
export traffic to and from our Pa
cific coast ports upon notice of
three days of reduction in rates
and of 10 days as to advances in
rates.
Following this order, the trans
continental lines withdrew, effec-
tice November l, 1908, all their
through import and export rates
via the Pacific. ports and applied
to the inland carriage of export
and import traffic to those ports
the domestic rates applicable to
and from the ports proper. The
Canadian Pacific railway, in con-
nection with a large number of
carriers in the United States with
lines east Of the Mississippi river,
published and filed proportional
class and commodity inland rates
applicable to Vancouver, B, c., and
traffic destined to oriental points,
the Philippines, Australia and New
Zealand, which rates are much low
er than the domestic rates apply
ing on traffic destined to Vancou-
yer proper. No opinion was ex-
pressed by the commission that
the inland portion of the export
and import rates might not reason
ably and properly be less than the
domestic rates to the ports. The
order simply required the carriers
to conform to the plain require
ments of the law and to publish in
the manner prescribed by law
whatever rates they saw fit to es-
tablish on this traffic.
Attention is called to the neces-
sity of legislation authorizing an
investigation under direction of
the commission of train accidents.
for the purpose of obtaining light
on the question of preventive
measures for the future.
With the possible exception of
power brakes, the condition of
safety appliances is steadily i'm
proving.
The enforcement of the act by
means of criminal prosecutions
still continues to be necessary
Since December 1, 1906, As indict-
ments for giving or receiving re-
bates have been returned in the
various judicial districts of the
country. In the same period Al
prosecutions were concluded
The decisions of the courts dur
ing the year just passed have with
two or three exceptions served to