Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-01-12
Would Permit Pooling.

sue.
Would Permit Pooling.
In view of the complete control over
rate-making and other practices of
acts of congress and as recommended
in this communication, the president
sees no reason why agreements be-
tween carriers specifying the classifi-
cations of freight and the rates, fares,
and charges for transportation of pas
sengers and freight which they may
agree to establish, should not be per-
mitted, provided, copies of such agree
ments be promptly filed with the com
mission, but subject to all the provi-
sions of the interstate commerce act,
and subject to the right of any parties
to such agreement to cancel it as to
all or any of the agreed rates, fares,
charges, or classifications by thirty
days notice in writing to the other
parties and to the commission.
The president thinks, that the law
should provide that carrier, upon
written request by an intending ship
per, should quote in writing the rate
or charge applicable to the proposed
shipment under any schedules or tar
| ifs to which carrier is party, and
that if the party making such request
suffer damage in consequence of
either refusal or omission to quote
| the proper rate, or in consequence of
a misstatement of the rate, the car
rier shall be liable to a penalty.
The president sees no reason why
the commission should not be author
lied to act on its own initiative as
we'll as upon the complaint of an in
dividual in Investigating the fairness
of any existing rate or practice; and
he recommends the amendemnt of the
law to SO provide; and also that the
commission shall be empowered to
pass upon the classifications of com
! modities for purposes Of fixing rates,
in like manner as it may now do with
respect to the maximum rate.
The president recommends, that the
commerce commission be empowered
whenever any proposed increase of
rates is filed, eitheg on complaint or
of its own motion, to enter upon an
4 investigation into the reaSonableness
of such change, and that it be further
empowered, to postpone the effective
date of the proposed increase for a
period not exceeding 60 days. Ii
within this time it shall determine
that such increase is unreasonable, it
may, either forbid the increase or fix
! a maximum.
! The claim is earnestly advanced by
some large associations of shippers
that shippers of freight should be
empowered to direct the route over
which their shipments should pass to
destination. This seems to the presi-
dent to be reasonable.
The president recommends that the
law shall be amended so as to provide
that no railroad car shall acquire any
interests of any kind in capital stock,
or purchase or lease any railroad of
any other corporation which COM
petes with it respecting business to
(which the Interstate commerce act ap-
plies Il recommend" continues the
president, 1.-The enactment of a law
providing that no railroad corporation
shall hereafter issue any capital stock
without previous or simultaneous pay
ment to it of not less than the par
value of such stock, or any bonds,
without the payment of not less than
the par value of such bonds, if issued
at less than their par value, then not
| without such payment of the reason
able market value of such bonds as
ascertafned by the commerce commits
sion" The act should also provide
for the approval by the interstate
commerce commission of the amount
any company upon any reorganiza-
ton. in order to prevent the issue of
stock and bonds to an amount in ex-
cess of the fair value of the property.
Train Safeguards.
The commerce commission should
be given the power, says the presi-
dent, to determine upon the uniform
construction of those appliances
such as sill-steps, ladders, roof hand
holds, running boards, and hand
brakes on freight cars used by the
trainmen.
Antitrust.
There has been a marked tendency
toward combination of capital and
plant in manufacture, sale and trans
portation. Combination has rendered
DOssibIe great economy. if has re-