The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-21
RAILROAD RATE
 COURT OPPOSED President Taft's Plan Does Not Find Full indorsment MANN'S BILL DIFFERENT Congressman Mann Proposes Radical Changes in Present Law, But Does Not Suggest Court To Handle
 Railroad Cases.
MANN'S BILL DIFFERENT I

Washington, January U.-(Speciai)- Breakers ahead is the announcement to- day of those officials and members of Congress who are interested in the admin istrations programme for further rail- road rate legislation. President Tafts measure, which has the indorsement Of Attorney General Wickersham, the inter state commerce commissioners and those members of the House who have been closely allied with railroad legislation, will meet with opposition. This fact was made patent when Chairman Mann of the House committee on interstate and for eign commerce, which committee has jur- isdiction of the proposed changes in the law, offered bill of his own previous to the Presidents message.
 It provides radical changes in the pres ent law and sounds the keynote of the fight, the opposition to the Presidents plan of creating an interstate commerce commission court. Then, too, MT. Mann suggests a new method of filing com plaints, when shippers find themselves in- jured by increased freight charges.
 Instead of confning the work of en- forcing the law to the commission, MT. Mann suggests the establishment of a bureau of transportation under the direc- ton of the department of commerce and labor. All complaints against rates, ac- cording to his plan, must be filed with this bureau, and if considered to be of merit are passed on to the department of justice, whose attorneys will press the matter before the commission. His plan involves two of the executive departments in addition to the commission itself.
 The principal objection to the Mann sug- gestions. in administration circles, is this programme of submitting complaints to the bureau of transportation. This pro cedure, 1t is said, would involve an amount of delay and red tape which is not encountered by shippers under the pres ent procedure, and might lose to them some important rights which they possess at present. Under existing working condi- tions if a shipper believes that his rights investigation of his complaint with no necessary expense to himself. In fact, all that is necessary to set in motion the government machinery is to write a letter to the commission setting forth his griev- ance Upon this basis the commission will examine the rate or practice com plained of, and if an apparent violation of law is disclosed will informally request the carrier to discontinue the rate or practice. In case the carrier is unwilling to make the change the shipper is in- formed and formal complaint filed. Then the commission enforces it's order.
 'The advantages of this course are ap- parent" said an official who is in touch with the administration programme. "The whether or not rates are excessive or dis crlminatory, is the commission. At no ex- pense greater than a postage stamp the shipper can secure the decision of that body itself.
 suppose, however, that the procedure of the Mann bill is followed Before the matter is even brought to the attention of the body which has authority to de- eide whether or not the law has been vio- lated, two different bureaus. having per- haps different views of the meaning of the law and the interpretation of decisions hereunder, must take guess as to what the decision of the commission would be upon the facts presented. In other words q shipper could secure a trial and judg- ment, not upon his own conviction tf1zrtt. ii It his rights were invaded. but only after convincing two independent government bureaus of that fact. To reach that end would involve the presentation of so much evidence as would make a case, if brought before the commissioners direct as under