The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-03-08
TAFT RAILROAD
BILL DEFENDED
Majority Report Answers
Criticisms
ADVANCED BY MINORITY
Loyal to the platform-The Sherman
Law Is Ample to Cover Certain
Alleged Short
comings.
ADVANCED BY MINORITY

Washington, March s. The majority
Of the Senate committee on interstate
commerce made lis report Yesterday on
The administration railroad bin signed
BY Senator's Elkins. cullom, Aldrich,
kean. Crane and Nixon.
The report says the effect Of the traffic
agreement provision is 10 relieve carriers
from the prohibition Of the antitrust
net, while preserving nimpaired control
BY the interstate commerce commission
over an such agreements. Il is declared
That the provision S III exact compliance
with the declaration IN tbe Republican
platform After quoting the platform
clause concerning such agreements, the
report saya
The contention that this declaration
can only he complied with by requiring
the approval y such agreements BY the
interstate commerce commission before
they become operative IS In the opinion
Of tie committee. destitute Of the slight
st foundation
Endor ing the proposed court Of com
neree, the report says the principal arga
ment in favor Of its creation is that it
win prevent DELAY and confusion in the
enforcement oi the law by creating one
tribunal specially veeed IN the compli.
Gated and often technical questions arts.
ing out Of the application OF the inter
state commerce law 70 railroads and 9th,
er carriers subject % tho act
supreme court ruling. are cited in sup
port Of the contention that tire scope Of
review Of the commissions orders 10 the
court win not be wider than it is now in
tile circuit courts
The committee saws the present sys
TEN combines IN tie members Of TIE in.
terstate commerce commission the func.
tions Of investigator, Judge and prosecu-
tor which is declared 70 be contrary to
the correct theory 81 law Or procedure
As to the provision for investigation
By the commission Of proposed increases
IN rate. the majority Of the committee
IS of opinion hat tho commission should
Be- authorized 70 begin the investigation
81 any proposed increase ia rate or
change in classification as soon az il isl
filed The majority supports also the
proposition that al any time before the
rate 81 classification win become effect
i've the commission should be empowered
to postpone for a maximum period Of
sixty days the effective date for rea
sonabe period to enable it to investi
gate.
Concerning the important section relat.
ing to the purchase Of competing lines.
the report says.
some criticism Of this has been made
upon tie ground that it did not prohibit
the acquisition, b. means Of a holding
corporation Of stocks Of competing lines
Of railway The provisions Of the sher-
man antitrust law 50 completely cover
that ground that the committee deemed I
i unnecessary to attempt a repetition 1
Of these prohibitions in this act"
Concerning the issue Of stocks and
bonds, the report has this to sayi-
While II may BE- objected that the
provisions 81 this act 40 not 90 far
enough in regulating the capitalizing Of
railroad corporations no candid critic can
fail 70 admit that they constitute a Icing
step il the direction Of establishing such 4
national legislation and supervision AZ