Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-29
Changes in Commerce Act
Ranked Next to the Tariff

The next most important work OF the
present Congress was the passage Of the
amendment to the interstate commerce
bill. The republican platform favored
amendment to the interstate commerce
act with q view to giving greater power
to the interstate commerce commission
in regulating the operation of railroads
and the fixing OF traffic rates, and also
favored such national legislation and
supervision as would prevent the future
overissue OF stocks and bonds by inter-
state carriers. After the adjournment
OF the Congress, at its extra session
invited two of my cabinet and a member
Of the interstate commerce commission
and q member of Congress to make rec
concentrations as to the needed amend
ments to the interstate commerce act.
These gentlemen reported to me, and in
September last. in a speech in Des
Moines, i foreshadowed their recommen-
dations as ! intended to make them to
the Congress for the amendment of the
Interstate commerce act:
First. by the establishment Of q COM
merce court; second. by empowering the
commission to classify merchandise as we'll
as to fix rates for classes third, by giving
the right to shipper to designate the
route by which his goods shall be trans
ported beyond the line of the initial car
rier, fourth. by empowering the commits
sion to consider the justice or injustice
Of any rate without the complaint or
initiation Of a shipper: fifth. by empow-
ering the commission to suspend proposed
increases o: rates by carriers until the
commission shall have chance to pass
upon the reasonableness of the increase;
sixth, by provisions for the federal regu-
lation OF the issue of stocks and bonus
by interstate railways: seventh. by
clause forb.dding an interstate commerce
acquiring STOCK
in a competing road: eighth, by section
permitting the making OF traffic agree
ments between competing RAILROADS limiteu
in point Of time and subject matter. ana
subject 10 the approval OF the interstate
commerce commission.
Conformed to Platform.
with the text OF the republican platform.
Subsequently bills were drawn embody-
ing this recommended legislation. In
which. while the principle was main
tanned. there were limit atoms introduced.
as justice suggested. after a conference
with all the parties interested. The bill
was submitted to the Congress and after
a great deal OF discussion both in the
House and Senate II was enacted into
law, with many amendments which did
not materially change the effect Of the
recommendations except to strike out
certain provisions promised In the re-
publican platform. to permit traffic agree
ments between railways In spite of the
antitrust law. to forbid one railway
company to acquire stock in a competing
company. and to secure supervision by
the interstate commerce commission of
the issue OF stocks and bonds by inter-
state railways.
For this last was substituted pro-
vision authorizing the appointment OF
q commission to consider the evils
arising from the overissue OF stocks
and bonds, and the methods of pre-
venting such evils by congressional
regulation. In addition to the purposes
already recited accomplished by the
bill, the so-called long and short haul
clause OF the existing law-the one
forbidding the charging OF . greater
the greater distance than for the great