The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-07-07
New Railroad Legislation
Proves Very Interesting
to Local Shippers
COMMERCE COURT A FEATURE
Local Men Believe That the New Rail-
way Legislation viii Result in Solv-
ing Many of the Troubles Which
Were Experienced in the Past.

The most notable provision of the
administration railroad bill, - which
has Just become a law, is for a. Com
meree Court. This tribunal is to have
the jurisdiction now possessed by
United States circuit courts over the
enforcement of orders of the Interstate
Commerce Commission, with certain spe
Gifted exceptions. These exceptions in
clude orders for the payment of money,
eases to the annul orders of the Com
mission, and the mandamus proceedings
provided for in sections 20 and % of
the act of February 4, 1887.
The Commerce Court is to be com
posed of five judges, appointed from
among the circuit judges by the chief
Justice Of the Supreme Court for five
years. In the first instance, however,
the court is designated by the President
to serve for one, two, three, four and five
years respectively, in order that the
term of one may expire each year there
after.
An appeal from a,glecision of the
Commerce Court may be taken within
sixty days to the Supreme Court, but
such an appeal is in no case to super
sede or stay the decree of the Com
merce Court unless the Supreme Court
so directs Appeals from it to the Sup
RENE Court have priority over all other
causes except criminal cases. Suits
brought to stay an order of the Com
mission do not suspend the operation
Of the order unless expressly directed
| by the Commerce Court.
The provisions of the Interstate com
merce act are extended to include per-
sons and corporations transporting oil
OF other commodity Except water and
natural gas in pipe lines, telegraph
and telephone companies, express COM
panies, and sleeping car companies All
service in connection with the receipt,
delivery, elevation and transfer in tran
sit, ventilating, refrigerating, icing
storage and handling is included in the
term &" transportation as used in the
act
The Commission IS powers over rates
are greatly increased under the new
law When new rate\is proposed the
Commission may suspend it for 100
days in addition to the usual 80 days
notice pending an investigation of its
reasonableness. If the time for investi-
cation is not sufficient it may be ex-
| tended for an additional six months.
| The Commission must give preference
over all other matters to questions con-
corning rates and render the speediest
decision consistent with a proper con
sideration of the issues.
If the commission finds rate or
regulation unreasonable, unjust or dis
criminatory, it may fix a reasonable
rate, and may also act upon its own in
itiative without waiting for a formal
complaint. Orders of the commission
are to take effect in not less than thirty
days and are to remain in force not
more than two years, and may be modi-
fed or suspended by the commission or
the court. If carriers fail to agree OH
the division of joint rate the com
mission, after a hearing, may appor-
tion the rate. If carriers neglect to
establish through routes and rates the
commission is empowered to do so.
The new act makes it unlawful for
common carriers to charge more for
the transportation of passengers or
freight for short distance than for a
longer haul in the same direction on
the same line, the shorter being in
Guided within the longer distance; or
to charge more as through route than
the aggregate of the intermediate rates,