The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1910-06-10
PRINCIPAL PROVISIONS
OF MEASURE AS PASSED

a new "eourt Of commerce" for the
consideration exclusively Of appeals
from orders from the interstate com.
merce commission. The court is to
consist Of five judges to sit in Wash.
ington. Their powers are to be co.
ordinate with the judges of the federal
circuit court; they are to receive the
same pay and emoluments aud are to
be appointed in the first instance by
the present for terms respectively Of
one, two, three, four and five years.
Each as he retircs to take up tho
work of u circuit Judge, is to be sue
ceeded by u designation from the cir.
cult bench, these and other vacancies
to be filed by appointment by the
chief justice of the supreme court.
While the officers of the court are
to be in Washington and regular ses.
sions are tn be held here provision is
made for sittings anywhere in the
than the interstate commerce commits.
sion, is made defendant in all cases
coming before the court, but the com
mission is permitted 20 intervene, as
are other interested parties. The de.
Tense is placed under the direction of
the attorney general, but the commits.
sion and interested parties are per
mitted to have counsel and to carry on
the suit in case the attorney general
fails to do 80. Appeal may he taken
to the supreme court. The long and
short haul provision of the present in
terstate ommerce law is amended 80
as to permit a greater charge for a
short haul than for long haul only
with the consent OF the interstate com.
merce commission. Especial provision
is made against the fixing of a lower
rate for the purpose of destroying wat.
er competition.
Railroad companies are required to
furnish written statements of rates
from one place to another upon the
written application of IA shipper, un
der a penalty of $3.50 for misstatement
or for failure to comply with such ap'
plication. In addition the shipper can
bring suit for additional damages.
Either upon complaint or upon its
own initiative, the commerce cominls
sion il authorized to determine the
rea~sonableness of individual or joint
rates or classifcations, and il such
rates are found unreasonable, discrim.
inatory, preferential or preiudicial
the commission is authorized TO pre-
scribe a proper maximum rate. Rates
reduced to meet water competition
must not be restored unless after II
hearing by the commission To deter
mine whether conditions have changed
otherwise than by the elimination oi
the water competition.
Unless set aside by a competent
court, orders Of the commission are to
continue in force for two years. The
commission is also given authority to
investigate the propriety of any new
rate, regulation or classification, indi
vidual or joint, OF any common carrier,
and pending such hearing a suspension
for ten months Of the rate, classiti
cation or regulation is provided. The
carrier il required to refund all charges
found To be excessive.
Authority is also given the commits
sion to establish through routes aud
joint classification and to prescribe
maximum rates over them, whenever
the carriers themselves neglect to do
80. This regulation also governs water
lines that are connecting carriers.
Shippers are given the right to des
ignate a through route or part of a
route over which their property shall
he carried. A penalty of $4,000 lis i'm
posed upon carriers for disclosing amy
information concerning shipments. A like
penalty is provided for violation of or
ders under section Is of existing inter
state Law and in this ease
each day that violation continues is to
be construed as a separate o%trense.
At intervals Of six months, the com
mission is required to make an analy
sis of the tariff and classification, and
to investigate the ~advisabiIity of q
uniform classification.
Telegraph and telephone lines are
placed under the jurisdiction Of the
interstate commission. The
commission Is authorized to determine