The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-01-05
MANN PRESENTS
RAILROAD BILL
MAKES SWEEPING CHANGES IN
INTERSTATE COMMERCE
REGULATIONS.
A SHIPPERS BUREAU
Proposed, H. bc Created in Depart.
ment # Commerce and Labor,
Where Shipper viii File Com
paint Against Roads.

Washington, Jan. A bill making
sweeping changes in the interstate
commerce laws for the regulation of
railroads was introduced in the house
today by Representative Mann. of
Illinois, chairman of the committee on
interstate and foreign commerce.
The bin is not in accord with the one
prepared by the committee acting un-
der the direction of President Taft
and Known as the Administration
railroad bill, but was prepared by
Chairman Mann during the summer
vacation of congress.
The measure does not provide for
a special court to hear interstate
commerce eases as has been reported
would be In the form of legislation on
this subject. which President Taft
would recommend. r~~proposes, how
ever, to create in the department of
commerce and labor a bureau to be
called the Bureau of Transports
tion where shipper may file com
plant against a railroad. If, after an
Investigation, the commissioner of
the bureau of transportation finds
that there is justice in the complaint,
he must report the facts to the at
torney general Of the United States
and If the attorney general Is salts
fled that there is cause of action,
he is required to file petition with
the interstate commedce commission
and prosecute the case at the expense
of the govrnment. The shipper may
If he prefers, still file his complaint
direct with the commission aud prose
cute it at his own expense, as the
present law. provides.
The bill makes it the duty of com
mon carriers to establish Just and
reasonable classifications and regula-
tions and authorities, the interstate
commerce commission to prescribe
what they shall be-
The long and short haul clause of
the interstate commerce act would be
amended 50 as to provide that the
charge for a short haul shall in no
case be greater than the charge for
long haul, and the charge for a
Through rate shall be no greater than
lEhe aggregate of the local rate.
False or padded claims for damages
nv a shipper are prohibited as rebates
Are. #H
IVY The provisions of the law in regard
to filing complaints and authorizing
the commission to adNst claims and
fix rates are very much enlarged and
they give power to the commission
not only to fix rates upon complaint;
but also to adjust and prescribe elias.
sificauons. regulations and practices
geenrally. The commission may sus
pend the taking effect of any pro-
posed rate or change in classification
until full hearing could be had ON the
subject. The commission is also Civ
en- the power TO establish through
rates and joint rates. and the shipper
to select the entire route over which
a shipment shall be transported
Railroads are required to furnish
rates on written application. Every
shipment of property on which re-
bate is paid is made separate Of.
fense and the Elkins law is amended
to that extent. The railroads, under
the Mann bill may exchange trans
nertation for the advertising Of their
time tables in newspapers.
10
a common carrier is prohibited
from owning or acquiring ownership
OF stock in any competing carrier
The bill also makes it unlawful for
Q, railroad company to issue any stock
or bonds except for the acquisition of
property, the construction of its