Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-08-02
W0UlOPATCHH HOLES
IN HEPbU RN
RATE LAW
SENATOR CUMMINS IS
ON TRAIL OF RAILROADS
Dead Letter Office Sending
Unique Collection of Trophies
to the Alaska ukon-Pacific
EXPOSITION at Seattle.
Morning Journal Bureau,
613 Munsey Building.


WASHINGTON, d. c., July 81.
senator Cummins of Iowa has pre-
nored a bin for Introduction in the
senate which will seek to remedy the
defects Of the commodities clause of
the Hepburn law which was pokcd
mn of holes by a recent decision of
tho supreme court. Mr.. Cummins' bill
win be for the purpose of shutting
railroads effectively out of the busi-
ness of coal mining, directly or indi.
rertlv. by prohibiting them from haul
inc coal from mines owned by them.
Under the decision of h supreme
conrt it is possible for u railroad to
carry coal which from q mine
owned by a corporation in which it
has shares of stock, 1t is the pur-
nose of the Cummins bill to h this
Off The supreme court decision al
loVs a railroad to mine coal and
transport the coal so mined, providing
il is sold to another party before the
shiumcnt begins. senator Cummins
eavs there is no way of preventing
his. and that it is for the states to
81. whether railroad companies shall
he allowed to mine coal. over this,
the federal government has no au-
tharity.
II is likely this question will be up
gpaIn IN the next regular session and
that If will attract no small degree ol
attention. Mr.. Cummins is a member
or the senate committee ON interstate
commerce.
As governor of Iowa. Mr.. Cummins
was responsible for "A great deal of
important railroad legislation, includ-
ing the anti-pass law. Now that the
TARIFF bin is practically out of the
way save for the final voting, Sen
ator Cummins is looking into railroad
matters with a view to formulating
bills on important phases of them. lie
is convinced hat this government
should axe hold of the railroad rate
situation and settle it with something
like permanencc by establishing a
general schedule of rates for the
whole country.
He would adopt the English sys-
TEN OF railroad regulation in this re-
spcet 10 the United states. making i'm
portant notifications to suit condi-
tions here. Having a rate once tiNcd
by the government it would not be
increased until the railroad company
had made a showing to h commits
sion that an increase was necessary.
Senator Cummins is aware this Is an
advanced proposition, but he says 1t
or something like it has to be taken
up before there is anything like a sat
isfactorY settlement of the rate ques-
ton.
Just what changes should be MADE
in the system for the administrator
Of the Interstate commerce laws, SEN
ator Cummins SAYS he is not yet
ready to say. He thinks the law
should be modified in a number o.
details. one thing that should be
done is to give the commission au-
thority to inquire into the proposed
increase of a rate on complaint of a
shipper. Now. it is necessary for the
rate to go into effect before com
plant against it will lie.
1t is already becoming apparent
that the proposition to divide the pow
ers of the Interstate Commerce ON
mission, so as to leave that BODY
quasi-judicial powers and take from
it the administrative powers, leaving
the administration to the department
Of commerce and labor, is going 10
encounter formidable opposition IN
both houses of congress next winter.
Many believe it would weaken the
enforcement of h law. President
Taft has been looking into this ques-
Ton, ana it is quite generally expected
he will advocate something like 1t.
Nevertheless, it looks as if such plan
would haVc a hard road in hoth
houses.
a human scalp and a mutilated hui
man ear are two Of the most grue-