The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-06-27
THE RAILROADS
MUST BE GOOD

Confined from Page One.)
IA question OF a few weeks before the
interstate Commerce commission will
be in the midst of a very big task in
determining whether those rates shall
stand. It may all lead to a big battle
although there Is an impression that
the whole matter VIII be settled annie
ably. The Interstate commerce com
missioners. who usually adjourn about
July I for the summer are preparing
to tackle the Job euergetically.
The advantages which the commits
sianers Will have under the new law in
finding ont whether the new rates are
Just and reasonable should be referred
to IN some detail. As the existing law
reads the commissioners can not orig
nate inquiry into the reasonableness Of
any railroad rate. They can act only
on complaint filed by shippers or other
interested parties. The new law. which
lis being finished in conference, gives
1.-THE commissioners authority to origi-
mate Investigations. without regard to
complaints by shippers, and also author
ICES them to suspend such rates for
considerable period Of time. The new
act. as it passed the senate, allows in
creases in rates to be suspended for
l20 days. while the commissioners are
conducting an investigation and then.
in their discretion, for six months long
en- The duration Of suspension viii at
least be 100 DAYS in the new law. That
lis power the commissioners have
never had before and it is regarded as
very important in the present contro-
versv.
There viii be a big batch of filings
about July l and the commissioners
Will then be able under the new law to
say whether these increases shall con
| tinue in force while the reasonableness
Of such increases is being investigated.
| 1t is understood that the commission
viii probably suspend such Of the in
creases as promise to affect materially
the towns and cities to which they APP
lplv. Where the increases are Of com
paratively minor Importance, the com
missioneTs viii not suspend them The
outcome of the inquiry will be watched
with keen interest, for it is the most
| important undertaking in the history of
government regulation of interstate
transportation. The new law viii also
contain several other provisions facili-
tating the inquiry. Among other things
It will probably place a larger burden
of proof upon the railroads than has
ever before been required.
Right on the heels of the White
House talks with railroad presidents
/ and the agreements resulting therefrom
| came q nice little combat between the
senate and the house over the enact
ment of the new law. The house had
passed its railroad bill several weeks
ago. The senate passed its railroad
bill Just before the talks were held with
the railroad presidents. On the sup
position that the bill would go into con
ference the senate leaders accepted a
number of rather radical amendments
with the intention of dropping those
| amendments in conference. Thus they
IayOided some debate and contention
The Democrats and insurgents in the
house promptly started a campaign fol
the acceptance of the senate bill Just
as it stood. \ motion to recede and
concur has high privilege. The Presi
dent wanted a provision allowing the
law to become Immediately operative
instead Of in 60 days as both the senate
and the house had provided. The mo
ton to rccede and concur was made II
the house, with a proviso that the law
should come into effect at once. The
regulars made a spectacular fight tC
send the bill to conference and they
won IN the house by vote of l62 t.
I156.