The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1910-03-10
TAFT RAILROAD
BILL REPORTED
TO THE SENATE
MAJORITY OF COMMITTEE ON IN
TERSTATE COMMERCE SUPPORT
ADMINISTRATION.
UPHOLDS PLATFORM PLEDGE.
Interesting Statement Is Made Regard
ing Traffic Agreements Between
Interstate Carriers.
APPROVES COURT OF COMMERCE.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., March T.
Carefully preserving the principles so
cleverly enunciated i'll the Republican
platform of 1905" is the way the ma
jority of the Senate committee on inter
state commerce, which made its report
today on the administration railroad bill,
interprets the provision to permit com
mon carriers to enter into traffic agree
mentS.
The report is signed by Senators Elk
ms, Cullom, Aidrich, Kean. Crane and
Nixon, and will be printed with the
minority report submitted few days
ago by Senators Clapp and CumminS
and the individual report of Senator
Ncwlands
Approval of the court of commerce
feature is given prominence. although
comment upon other provisions is far
more interesting. For instance, the re-
port says that the effect of the tratf
agreement provision Is IT, relieve car
rierS from the prohibition Of the anti
trust act while preserving unimpared
the control of the Interstate commerce
commission over all such agreements 1t
il declared that the provision is in exact
compliance with the declaration i'll the
Republican platform.
NlltF quoting tllt tIdUSc OF tue pat
form concerning such agreements the re
port says: The contention that this
declaration can only be complied with
by requiring the approval of such agree
mCntr by the Interstate commerce com
mission before they become operative is
in the opinion of the committee, deSti-
tutc of the slightest foundation.
This section in question carefully pre-
serves the principles clearly cnunciated in
a, ,,lo m, nv prili die
lortion of language could it be contended
that this carefully guarded provision in
vOlved any abandonment of the princi-
pie Of competition between naturally
competing lines"
How Court Will Act.
Endorsing the proposed court of com
merce. the report says that the principal
argument IN favor Of its creation is that
il will prevent delay and confusion In
the enforcement of the law by creating
one tribunal specially versed in the com
plicated and often technical questions
arising out of the application of the In
terState commerce law to railroads and
other carriers subject to the act.
Supreme court rulings We're cited in
support of the contention that the scope
of review of the commissions orders III
the court will not be wider than if is
now in the circuit courts. 1t is con-
tended that courts ought not TO be en-.
dowed with merely administrative pow
erS such as are involved in the exercise
of the commissioner discretion. The
claim that there will not he enough
business to keep the tribunal occupied
is not seriously considered by the com
mission.
The administration bill gives the attor-
ney general entire charge and control of
the interests of the government in all
cases and proc ceilings in the court of
commerce and in the supreme court on
appealed cases. This Is a change from
existing law. The committee says that
the present system combines =: the mem
herS of the interstate commerce commits
and prosecutor. which is declared to be
contrary to the correct theory of law or
procedure.
Can Investigate Rates.
Commenting upon the provision for in.
ycStigatiou by the commission of BRO
posed increase in rates the report says
that n majority of the committee is of
the opinion that the commission should
be authorized to commence the invest
"a ton of proposed increase in rate. or
change in classification as soon ms it is
filed. The majority supports also the
proposition that at any time before the
rate OF tluNSliit'dllDl VIII bttblilt tUbtl-
i've the commission should be empowered
to postpone the effective rate for Il
reasonable period to enable it TO investi-
gate the proposed action.
Bearing upon the provisions affecting
the issue of stock and bonds the report
takes up the legal side of the questions
involved. The bill in that regard is de
Tended and the report says of this fea-
ture of the bill
These provisions are 50 framed as
not to prevent the ordinary means of
financing railroad companies. while in
terposing an cffectual protection against
the issue of stock or bonds without AIDE
uuate consideration.
while it may be objected that the
provisions of this act do not 20 far
enough in regulating the capitalization of
railroad corporations. no candid critic
can fail to admit that they constitute a
long step in the direction of establishing
such national legislation and supervision
as will prevent the future oyer-isSue of
stocks and bonds by interstate carriers
and thSt they go as far as prudent leg
isaton should go i'll entering upon this
new field of national restraint upon the
issue of stock and bonds by Interstate
carriers