The sun., 1910-07-08
The Judicial Power NhoNr the Inter
state Commerce Commis ion.


state Commerce Commission.
The railway bill passed hv Congress
In the Last hours ut the recent session
adds extensively 10 the powers Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission over
the railroad lines running between the
several States. It j. safe 10 say that
very few lawyers with the possible eX-
Ception Of those bv whom the measure
itself was drafted have a. vet any accu-
rate idea ~ {" what the new statute
empowers the commission to do. Con-
siderable anNlcfv about the construC-
tion which the ;ribunal may put upon
its augmented Jurisdiction has been
manifested nv SON" ~ III" 'cailrg rail-
way managers of tn" country, and the
recenr visit of Chairman kNNPP 10 tho
President has been i'trhu'rt 10 a desire
on the President part 10 b. assured
that the newly bestowed authority of
the commission woula - exercised in a
conservative manner.
President TNT. bcius LAWYER and
having been a Judge. - doubtless aC-
quaintcd with the recent deC-lonS of
the commission a. published in lis OIL
cial reports and reviewed bv tho SUI
preme Court Of the lWird states In
the very last volume uf the supreme
Courr reports, fresh from the uuhlsher,
NAV be found the csL-e Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission against the
Northern Pacific Railway Company. IN
which the supreme Court "f The nlted
States unanimously condemned an or
der Of the commission a. one which II
had absolutely NO power - make The
character of this oIdcr Indicated dis
position to interior" with IN" practical
management II interstate railroads 20
an extent which the higher tribunal has
rebukei
Under an act Of Congress approved
June % lad, the Interstate Commerce
Commission u authorized 10 establish
through routes and Joint rates provided
that in the opinion "f thn commission no
satisfactory or reasonable through route
exists
The controversy which gave rise 10
the order IN question related t. through
routes and JOINT routes between Chicago
and points on the Pacific slope between
Seattle and Portland. Tacoma may
be taken A. an illustration of one of
these points Tn" Northern Pacific
Railway extends from - Paul to Ia
coma and from seattle through Tacoma
To Portland The lines of IN" mon
Pacific extend from Omaha 10 Portland.
passenger. from Chioago desiring 10
60 To Tacoma can proceed either by ~.
Paul and IN" Northern Pacific route
or by Omaha and m" mon Pacific lines
10 Portland amt from Portland by the
Northern ParIh" - Tl'oma When
the northern rout" I- used th" Mort hcrn
Pacific may carry M" ra~-"ngcr from
~. Paul 10 Tacoma a distance # l.gD
miles and must carry him from Billings.
q distance Of about I vT mle~ while
IL the I Mon Pacific ruui" j. -elo,.io-i the
Northern Pacific can transport the pas
sengrr only from Portland - Tacoma.
a dlstanc" of 10 Ull"- The Northern
Pacific wa- unwilling - max" ,ulut
rates with the I mon paoIfr lines be-
cau-" by =" doing ,t would have en-
CoiIrag"d ~" movement uf travel
through Portland, and thereby would
hav" deprived t~".i "f 'h" rr,vileg"
Of CARRYING IN" passenger by - own
line and thus Obtain ug u much longer
haul
In tins condition Of AFFAIR.", which
had nccasiou"d complaints from the
travelling puhlir rh" Interstate Com
mcgee Comm --luu p' F- DWU tuutinn
instituted proceeding to determine
the righ' of NJ" matter. 'ho Outcome
cf ,XJi,l, ,Sa. a,, ,-,ie, f,r 80, ,.-,,t,I,-L