Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-01-08

the provision Nof the interstate CONNER e
act providing for restitution to the ship
pcrs by carriers of excessive rates charged
in cases where the order of the commission
reducing such rates are affirmed. 1t may
. he doubted, how effective this rcmeCy
really is. Experience has shown that
banY, perhaps most shippers do not -
sort to proceedings to recover the eXcc';-
sVc rates which they may have been r.,
quired to pay for the simple reason that
they have added the rates paid to the
cost of the goods and thus enhanced the
price thereof to their customers and this t
-thc public has in effect paid the bill ON
the other hand the enormous volume of
transportation charges, the great numb, +
of separate tariffs filed annually with the
ing to almost 2OO,O0o ana the inn
possibility of any commission super
visinG the making of tariffs in advance
of their becoming effective on every
transport alton line within the United
States to the extent that would he niece :
sarY of their active concurrence were re-
quired in the making of every tariff has
satisfied me that this power, if granted,
should be conferred in a very limited and
restricted form. [ therefore recommend
that The Interstate commerce commission
he empowered whenever any proposed i'll
crease Of rates is filed. at once, either on
complaint or of its own motion, to enter
upon an investigation into the reasonable
ness of such change and that it be flu
Their empowered in its discretion to post
ponc the effective date of such propos, t!
increase for period not exceeding sixt =
days beyond the date when such rat
would take effect. If within this time it
shall determine that such increase is I'M
reasonable it may then, by its order.
either forbid he~pcrease at all or fix til .
maximum beyond which it shall not Be
made If. on the other hand, at the e,--
piration of this time the commission shall
not have completed it's investigation the i
the rate shall take effect precisely as it
would under the existing law, and tn
commission may continue its investigation
with such results as might be realized
under the law as it now stands.
The claim is very earnestly advanced
Ivy some large associations of shipper
that shippers of freight should be en-
powered to direct the route over which
their shipments should pass to destination
and in this connection it has been urged
that the provisions of section u of the in
terstate commerce act. which now en-
powers the commission, after hearing on
complaint. to establish through routes
and maximum joint rates. to be charged
etc. when no reasonable or satisfactory
through route shall have been already
established. be amended 50 as to en-
power the commission to take such action
even when one existing reasonable and
satisfactory route already exists, if it be
possible to establish additional routes
This scenes to be reasonable provision
I know of no reason why a shipper should
or more established routes to which the
| initial carrier may be a party. and to re.
| quire his shipment to be transported tc
destination over such of such routes a:
he may designate for that purpose, sub
ject. however,. in the exercise of thi:
/ the interstate commerce commission may
prescribe.
| The Republican platform of 1908 de
! clared in favor of amending the interstate
| commerce law. but so as always to main
! tain the principle of competition between
naturally competing~lines. and avoiding
the common control of such lines. by any
means whatsoever. One Of the most pc
, tent means of exercising control has beer