Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-06-15
RAILROAD BILL IS
NEARER FIRST BORN
CONTINUED from First Page.)

the senate ana mousse piiS "eio &c
conciled as follows
| The new court will be known as the
commerce court as provided by tho
jhouse, instead OF a court of commerce
as desired by the senate.
| The method OF selecting the judges
to form the court Is in the senate pro
| vision.
| Another senate amendment retain
1 ed permits of appeals TO the Supreme
Court from interlocutory orders OF
DEGREES of the commerce court grant
ing or continuing injunctions to re.
strain the enforcement of orders OF
the commission. II is provided, how
ever. that the appeals must be taken
within thirty days.
IL was provided by the adminlstra-
| ton bill that the commerce court
lshould not issue njunctions suspend
ing orders of the commission except
in cases where damage would ensue.
l To that provision the conferees added
a senate amendment requiring the
giving of three days notice TO the
commission ana TO the attorney gen
eral that the suspension should not
be more than 60 days.
The conference report retains the
house provision requiring railroads to
provide reasonable facilities for oper-
ating through rates and for the ex-
change and return OF rolling stock
Used therein.
II also retains the house provision
requiring railroads to establish and
enforce reasonable classifications OF
property for transportation and regu-
lations and practices affecting classi-
fcations, rates, or tariffs, receipts and
bills OF lading.
Telegraph and Telephone Clause.
The provision placing telegraph.
telephone. and cable companies under
the jurisdiction OF the commission
is that adopted by the house with a
provision agreed on in conference
that messages may be classified into
day, night, repeated, unrepeated, let
ter. commercial press. government ana
such other classes as are just and
reasonable. and authorizing different
rates to be charged for different
classes of messages. In respect to-
the use of telephone. telegraph and
cable franks. Il is provided that they
officers, agents, employees and their
families of corporations within the
scope of the interstate commerce act.
The house provision for the investi-
CATION of the physical valuation OF
railroad property was stricken out.
but the amendment authorizing the
owners of a lateral branch line of rail
road. to rquire a main line of rail
road to make proper connections
was retained.
Lonq and Short Haul.
To the house provision on the sub
ject of long and short haul. which is
designed TO prohibit railroads from
charging a higher rate for a shorter
than for longer distance, was added
the following:
Whenever carrier by railroads
shall. in competition with water
route or routes, reduce the rates on
the carriages of any species OF
freight to from competitive points il
shall not be permitted to increase such
rates unless after hearing by the In
terstate Commerce Commission, It
shall be found that such proposed in
crease rests upon changed conditions
other than the elimination of water
competition"
This provision was adopted in lieu
of far more radical provisions intro
duced by Senators Simmons and Bur
ton and adopted by the senate.
The house amendment TO section
zen of the interstate commerce act to
prescribe a penalty for attempting to
obtain advantage in the matter OF rates
the same as for actually obtaining it
through false representations, etc.
was retained.
Clause is Added.
In retaining the senate provisions
authorizing the suspension OF an in
creased rate for a period of ten
months and putting the burden oil
proof upon the railroad as 10 the
reasonableness of such in case the
conferees added a provision as fol
lows:
THE commission shall give to the
hearing and decision of such question
preference over all other questions
pending before II and decide the same
as speedily as possible"
Both the house and senate provided
that the new law should take effec:
after the expiration OF 60 days after
its passage.
The conferees, however, inserted
II