The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-06-22
VERY DIFFERENT FROM
ORIGINAL, MEASURE
Provides for Court oi Com
msTce, President Tafl's
FayOTIle paIt Of Bill

Washington, June 22.-The Rail
road bill as finally passed and signed
is very different than the bill prepar.
ID by the attorney general and intro
duced in January. The act is to take
effect sixty days from June Is, the
date OF the signature by the president,
except that the section relating to
any increase in rates and sections
providing for a commission are now
in effect, having taken effect the min
ute the president signed the bill
The part last changed is that which
provides for a court of commerce,
President Taft's favorite part of the
Till, but not much liked by majority
oi either house The insurgents and
the Democrats in the Senate tried
hard to strike 1t out, and in the house
a motion to strike 1t out of the bill
failed on tie vote.
The Court of Commerce.
The court Is composed of five .Jdg,
es, to be situated at Washington and
TO hear all matters OF litigation re-
lating to the enforcement of the Inter
state Commerce Commissions orders.
Inc first court is to be made up OF
new judges appointed by the presi-
dent, but at the end of each year one
judge will retire from the commerce
court and become circuit Judge, and
tie chief justice of the Supfeme Court
will name a judge to take bis place
from among the circuit Judges in reg.
ular service. In the trial OF cases in
vthe commerce court the Attorney
General is to have control of the in
telcSts of the government, but the
IntefState Commerce Commission can
be represented by its own attorney
end the shippers interests can appear
as mater of right and be heard The
commerce court and provisions for its
management takes up six sections OF
the bill.
The remainder of the bill is re-
writing Of parts of the present Inter
state Commerce law The Inte' state
Commerce Commissions jurisdiction
over railroads Is extended so as to in
clude pipe lines carrying oil but not
gas or water, telegraph, telephone and
cable companies and to water trans.
portation companies that are either
controlled by railroads or that Them
selves own railroads. Telegraph and
telephone franks are forbidden the
same as railroad passes.
Express and Sleeping Car Companies.
The term common carrier formerly
applied by this law to railroads only
is made TO include express and sleep
ing car companies. All charges made
by any Of these classes of companies
must be reasonable and just and any
charges that are not are declared to
lie unlawful. Rates must be uniform
hut reduced rates for night service OF
telegraph and telephone companies
ere authorized There Is a long and
short haul clause which pro hiblts a
common carrier from charging more
for short than for long haul, the
s'prter being included in the longer,
eMept with the consent and approval
of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion. A railroad having reduced rates
in competition with water transpor-
tation companies cannot increase
such rate after it has killed
7 he water competition without the con
N pt of the Interstate Commerce Com
af Sion. after showing that there are
IM reasons for the increase besides
The elimination Of water competition.
A shipper may require railroad
to furnish rates In writing and IL mis-
leading INFORMATION is given he may
collect damages and cause the carrier
to be fined s25000 The Inter
state Commerce Commission is au-
thorized by thesnew act to investigate
on its own motion any rate that seems
unfair and order the rate changed.
Heretofore investigations have been
made on complaints only. A carrier
must give notice of change Of rates
at least thirty days before 1t can be
come effective.
May Hold Up Rate Advances.
If the change is an increasefit can
not take effect until approved by the