The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-12-22
IMPORTANT WORK
DONE DURING YEAR
Annual Report of Interstate
Commerce Commission Is
Submitted to Congress.
MANY CASES DISPOSED OF
Conclusion Reached That the Fight
Against Discrimination Is by
No Means Won.

Washington. Dec. 21.-In it's twenty
fourth annual report. submitted to Con
gress today, the interstate commerce
commission gives particular prominence
20 the consideration OF the eastern and
western freight cases which are now
penang before the commission. The
cases have been assigned for argument
on January 2, 1911, and succeeding
days.
Immediately following the passage OF
the Mann-Elkins law, the commission
began 10 exercise the most far-reachinE
power conferred upon 70. the authority
70 suspend proposed advances in rates
pending Investigation. In the first half
or 1910 numerous carriers had given
notice OF general advances I'm rates.
As a result OF conferences between
the government and the carriers, the
dates Of the proposed advances were
suspended pending the enactment of
. the law. ThcrcupOn two general inves-
LEGATIONS were instituted. one relating
/ to the general advances proposed by
eastern and the other to those proposed
by western carriers.
Cases HnadIed During Year.
Since the lest annual report the
/ commission has announced decisions Of
~ proceedings and lZ9 cases have
been disposed or. Thus SIT cases were
removed from the commissions docket
I within the year, $50 complaints were
/ filed and eleven proceedings were in
stituted by the commission. In addi-
ton. twenty-five proceedings involving
suspensions OF tariffs were Instituted.
The mum Der Of informal complaints
| taken up with tho commission shows
a Considerab BILE decrease. 3.S4O having
been filed In 1910 as against 4.436 the
previous year Within the year 737 In
Nesugatous and hearings respecting al
legged violations OF tho law were held
/ I'm Washington and various parts OF the
country.
In the twelve months ended Novem-
Der 80. 1910. 15f.5SS tariff publications
were tucd with the commission, ap-
proNima ting $4,000 less than the pre-
CedinE twelve months. The number Of
schedules filed was considerably in
creased by the filing Of supplements
postponing the effective dates of tariffs
Which contained advanced rates now
under investigation by tho commission.
Tn the same period the number OF sDc-
Cial permissions granted TO make tar
| IFS. effective on less than statutory
notice was $3.50, So bstantially the same
! as in the previous twelve months.
Uniform Classification.
! Special reference IS made to the work
| or the commission FOR the establish
ment Of a uniform freight classified
/ tion. Practically all the rules and
/ regulations of separate cIassificat io1s
nave been reviewed. revised and uni
The carriers. tho report says. are
7 making sincere effort to harmonic
I the conflicting features of the various
| classifiCations, but 81 viii be necessary
! to apply the stimulus Of requirement
]
| soon.
Since December /, 1903. forty-four In
I dictments for criminal violations OF the
| act 10 regulate commerce have been
/ returned. and thirty-one pleas OF guilty
/ were received. The aggregate OF pen .
/ alties assessed was S63.5OO.
| Two verdlcts OF scquittal were rem
OF tho forty-four indictments re-
| turned within the year. twenty-five
| we're against the carriers and nineteen
] "a rNfnnOTU 1r q la
| forty three prosecutions concluded
/ tWenty-one were against carriers and
| twenty-five against shippers or passen-
/ gers Concerning the matter Of prose
| cution, tho report says.
| The fight against discrimination Is
| by no means won, practices SIN re-
naming which are more insidious and
| more difficult OF eXtirpation than omen
lrebatinR. by reason or the fact that rnrv
are hidden in contractual arrangements
entirely legal except for the effect pro-
duced- To speak generally. these arr
/ engagements depend for their vice upon
some unlfactiOn Of shippers and carriers
] by which shippers secure an interest I'm
| car. iers' profits"
Coal Chr Distribution.
part OF the report Is devoted 70 q
| consideration or certain suits. notably
the coal car distribution case. the Burn
I ham-Hanna Munger case the Portland
I gateway case and various lum ber cases
Most Of these have been decided BY the
higher courts tn favor or the commits
. /
/ BY the act OF June IS. 1910. telegraph
and telephone companies doing an in.
n tcrst1te business were placed under the
n jurisdiction or the commission. Steps
\ have already been taken for the for
n mutation Of a system OF operating tar
IRIS and IL Is expected that this system
VIII become effective July I. 1911.
N Concerning tho application OF the law
as TO telegraph and telephone com
pautcs. the report SAYS.
There are from 5000 to 90. 600 tolc.
\ phone companies which make provision
for Interstate communication and tho
commission is IN doubt whether II IS tho
Intent Of Congress 70 place all these
companies under its supervision ant
control. no opinion IS expressed al thf,
time as 10 the 'administrative interpre.
tation that should be placed upon the
law I'm this regard"
The wisdom and urgent need OF prop.
er legislation for the control OF rail.
way capitalization are urged upon Con.
Eross.
Inquiry into railway accidents with.
in the year ended June 30. 1910 show,
that the number Of passengers xiIlef
In train accidents was 227 as compare,
with 131 the previous year. The mum
Der Of employees killed in coupling &C.
Cidcnts increased from 161 in 1909 Il
20l In 1910 or twenty-five per cent.
To IS pointed out that. notwithstand.
ing increase In casualties. a marked i'm
provement IS noted I'm the practices oil
railroads In guarding against violation,
OF the safety appliance law.