The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-08-16
INTERSTATE RAIL
LAW EFFECTIVE
WEDNESDAY
Sections Authorizing Commission To
suspend Proposed Rates Pending
Investigation Will Be Put
Into Force.
president Taft Is Recruiting Mem,
bers for Stock and Bond
Commission.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1.-two sec.
uons OF the railroad law took effect
June Is. when the bill was passed /;
the remainder OF the voluminous
statute will be- In force tomorrow ana
with the widened Jurisdiction and al.
oitional duties 1t places upon the al
ready burdened interstate commerce
commission things will hum" at tie
headquarters OF the institution here,
after.
sections authorizing the commits
sion to suspend proposed increased
rates pending investigation and au-
thorizing President Taft to appoint a
committee 10 investigate the stocks
and bonds will take immediate effect
The committee used its suspension
power by holding up proposed In
crease In rates. The president is now
recruiting members for the stock and
bond commission.
In September the interstate com
merce commission will assemble in
Washington to tackle the new prob
lem. The committee, besides the
power OF suspension, has the power OF
regulation OF all services in connec-
ton with the receipt, delivery, eleva'
ton. transfer, ventilation, icing. stor-
age and handling OF freight; the sup
ply OF cars TO shippers, excess bag
gage and the establishment OF
through routes.
An increase in the number OF com
plants is already perceptible in the
business OF the commission. The
complaints came In last year at the
rate OF one and half day and the
average is now from six to ten day.
Much work will come from the west
owing to the law providing that rail-
roads shall not charge less for a
fungcrtffrrf -A-sAeFtef- -until-for
special reasons the commission per-
mits the practice. The freight charges
almost everywhere are higher to In
terror than to coast points and there
are many instances among interior
points where the same railroad
charges are more for carrying freight
a shorter than a longer distance.
All the railroads will rush in with
these rates insisting that the commits
sion authorize them.
The railroads will offer what they
consider strong reasons for the main
tenance for discriminating rates.
People who have for years been
forced TO pay higher rates on freight
than was paid by others on the same
kind OF goods passing through their
towns 10 points 100 or 1000 miles
beyond. will make bitter protest
against the discrimination.
Every station and every commodity
will have to be considered and there
will be an enormous number OF
cases.
Regulation OF telegraph. and tele-
phone companies provided for by the
new law will add much TO the work
OF the commission.
No complaints have yet been re-
ceived but they will not be lacking.
The forms of tariffs. accounting sys-
TEN monthly and weekly reports TO be
made by the telegraph and telephone
companies, will be prescribed by the
commission. This is now done by the
railroads.
h Complaints arising from Interstate
telegraph and telephone lines will be
handled in the same way as are rail-
road complaints.
A big power assigned to the com
mission by congress in the law pass
ed last April is that within six
months shall be designated stan
dard system of safety appliances" on
cars. ito be adopted by all railroads.
This applies TO couplers, ladders,
hand-holds, grab-irons and all other
contrivances used In operation OF
cars. Experts of the commission and
the American Railway association are
working out the problem and the
commission will be ready to notify
the railroads to get into line with a
uniform system when the time limit
expires in October.
A law passed in May authorizes the
commission to investigate railroad
accidents and gives 1t all the power
necessary TO learn the facts. These
Investigations may also add material