The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1909-12-24
Commerce Commission
Wants More Regulation
BY Associated Press.

by Associated Press.
Washington. d. c.. Dec. 21.--Vigor.
GUS recommendation for changes in
the present law regulating transporta.
ton companies are contained in the
twenty-third annuaI report OF the In
ter-state Commerce Commission trans
mitted today to the congress.
Notwithstanding the recommenda.
ticas made, however. the report, In
this respect, ls notable rather for
what It does not, than for what II
does. contain. Five of the sugges-
tions made by the special committee
selected by President Taft to draft
changes In the existing interstate
commerce act are offered in the re
port It Is known that the commits
sion. as a body, favors the plans pro
posed by that committee; but, as a
matter Of courtesy It has refralned
in its report. from discussing the
changes In advance Of the special mes
sage on the subject which President
Taft has indicated he viii send to
the congress.
The commission expresses its con
viction that certain amendments to
present law are necessary to enable
1t fully to accomplish the purposes OF
congress. Briefly summarized, the
proposed amendments are as follows:
That a physical valuation be made
Of the interstate railroads Of the
country The commission points to
the difficulty experienced in certain
cases where its orders are attacked
in court In meeting the testimony az
to physical value offered by the car
rlers, and say th4t if its rates are tc
be defended, some method must be
furnished by which a value can be
established which shall be binding OF
the courts and the commission
The commission again suggests that
It ho given power to prevent advances
in rates or changes IN regulations oi
practices to the disadvantage of The
shipper, pending an investigation into
the reasonablenoss OF the proposed
change It is stated that where a rate
has been in effect for years it is pre-
sumably reasonable and that there
would be no hardship on the carriel
IN giving the commission authority L
require continuance OF the rate unit
opportunity had been Afforded to in
vestigate the proposed advance.
The commissions authority to es
tablish Joint rate and through rout'
Is limited to cases where no sucl
route exists. and the commission rec
ommends that this Limitation be striek
en- out of the law. SO that II may ea
tablish through route wherever upoI
investigation. It is found that the pub
lie necessity and convenience requir'
Fsch action. A further recommenda
ton Is to the effect that In certain In
stances the shipper be permitted q
direct the intermediate routing Of hi
traffic. It Is further requested tha
the law be so amended as TO give tn
commission undoubted authority 4
enter a corrective order as the resul
OF an Investigation instituted by th'
commission upon its own motion.
The commission again calls to th'
attention OF congress the increasing
Importance OF some form Of fedora
control over railway capitalization an'
expresses the opinion that adequate
legislation upon this subject Is re
quired b. the interests involved.
The annual reports TO the commits
sion from the carriers show that foi
the fiscal year ended June soth. 1908
the gross operating revenues Of Al
railroads in the United states wer'