The Daily Missoulian., 1910-01-08

! time of the passage of the HepDur
act in 1s05-06, which was then, and ha
been. distinctly rejected. and if; rcpl
to the suggestion that they are abb,
by resorting TO the courts. to stay tn
taking effect of the order of the com
mission until its reasonableness sl,al
nave been investigated by the courts
whereas the people are deprived of an,
such remedy with respect to action b,
the carriers, they point TO the provis
ION OF the Interstate commerce ac
/ providing for restitution to the ship
! pers by carriers of excessive rate
I charged In cases where the orders o
the commission reducing such rate.
/ are affirmed. II may be doubted how
/ effective this remedy is.
| Raise the Price.
| Experience mas shown that many
! perhaps most. shippers do not resor,
to proceedings to recover the excessive
| rates which they may have been re.
quired to pay for the simple reason
that they have added the rates paid
to the cost of the goods and thus en-
hanced the price thereof to their Gus
toners and that the public, in effect,
has paid the bill.
On the other hand. the enormous vol
ume of transportation charges. the
number of separate tariffs filed an
nually with the interstate commerce
commission. amounting to almost 200. :
900. and the impossibility of any com
mission supervising the making of
tariffs in advance Of their becoming
teifectise on every transportation line
tal
that would be necessary If their active
concurrence were required In the max.
ing of every tariff, has satisfied me
that this power If granted. should be
conferred In very limited and re-
stricted form.
Postpone Date.
therefore recommend that the in
terstate commerce commission be en-
powered whenever any proposed in
crease of rates is fled at once, either
on complaint or of ito own motion, to
enter upon an investigation into the
of such change and that
IL be further empowered In it's discre-
ton TO postpone the effective date of
such proposed increase for period not
exceeding so days beyond the date
within this time. II shall determine
that such increase is unreasonable, II 4!
may then. by its order. either forbid |
lhe increase at all or fix the maximum |
beyond which II shall not be made. IT, |
on the other hand, at the expiration of
his time, the commission shan not
nave completed its Investigation, then
me rate shall take effect precisely as
' should under the existing law and /
me tonmission may continue It's" In. /
resignation WITH such results. as would
De realized under the law as 1t stands
now.
Claim Advanced. @
The claim Is very earnestly ad-
ianced by some large associations of
shippers that shippers of freight
;houid be empowered to direct the
'outc over which their shipments
should pass TO destination and in this
1t has been urged that the
provisions of section Is of the inter-
state commerce act, which now en-
powers the commission. after hearing
,h complaint. 10 establish through
routes and maximum joint rates /,
De charged, have been already esiab.
ished. be amended SO as To empower
ne commission 10 take such action.
wen when one existing reasonable and
route already exists, IL il
DC possible To establish additional
'outes. This seems To me To be
easoLaDie provision. l knew of no
cason Why shipper should not have
ne right To elect between two or more
stapiisned through routes To which
ne ihhlal carrier may he party and
Q require mis- shipment 10 be trans
'orted 10 destination over such route
u routes as he may designate for that
purpose, However. In the exercise of
ms right, The shipper should be sub
ect To reasonable regulations as the
Interstate commerce commission may =
rescribe
Gr'evous injury.
The republican platform of 1908 de-
Jared In favor of amending the in
erstatc commerce law but 50 as al }
avs 10 maintain the principle of COM :
ehtlon between naturally comncting
hes and avoiding the common control
such means whatsoever One of In.
lost potent means of exercising such 9
,ntrol has been through the holding
stock OF one railroad company By '
a"ther company owning competing
ne. This condition has grown up {
nder express legislative power CON
fred by the laws of many states. aud {
attempt now suddenly to reverse I
iat policy So far as II affects the I
Hnership of stocks heretofore So ac-
lired, would be To infllct a grievous
1ury' not only upon the corporations
'tecitd. hut ueOr a large body Cf the il
NeSIment holding public. |. however. Il
'c"inmehd that the law shall be b
hcnded So rs tn provide that. from I
nd after the date nf its passage no p
,:npany subject To the Interstate com u
sfce commission shall directly or in- 4
rectiy acquire any interests OF any @
hd in capital stock or purchase or u
ase any railroad or any other cor Il
'rauon which completes with il re- o
'ectlng business 10 which the inter IL
atv commerce act applies. But espe- r,
ally Tor the protection of the minor e
stockholders in securing to them h
e best market for their stock. | rec p
iinend that such prohibition BE- Il
apied with proriso that il shall not "
'efate 10 prevent any corporation c,
-,