Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-15
CONFEREES SEND
COMPROMISE ER.R.
BILL TO CONGRESS
Retains Salient Features of Sen
ate and House Measures
with Amendments
MINORITY TO MAKE REPORT
Long and Short Haul Clause Is
Retained with Some
Additions
ASSOCIATED Press1

WASHINGTON, June 14.-The con-
ference report of the administration
railroad bill was presented to the sem
ate at 1870 this afternoon by Chair
man Elkins of the senate committee
on interstate commerce. 1t was laid
before the house later, but under the
rules cannot be acted on until disposed
of by the senate.
The report went over till tomorrow,
when an effort will be made to secure
it's adoption. The two Democratic
conferees did not sign the report, and
Senator Newlands gave notice he
would present a minority report.
The bill as perfected creates a COM
merce court composed of five judges,
the first of whom are to be selected
by the president and thereafter by the
chief justice of the supreme court.
This court will have jurisdiction over
all suits brought to enforce or set aside
orders of the interstate commerce
commission.
The new court will be known as the
commerce court, as provided by the
house, instead of court of commerce,
as desired by the senate.
Another senate amendment permits
appeals to the supreme court granting
injunctions to restrain the enforcement
of orders of the commission. 1t is re-
quired, however, that the appeals be
taken within thirty days.
REGULATE INJUNCTI0NS
It was provided by the house bill
that the carrier should not issue in
functions suspending orders of the
commission where damage would en-
sue To that the conferees added a
senate amendment requiring three
days notice to the commission and to
the attorney general, and that the
suspension should not be for more
than sixty days
Provisions of both house and senate
bills in regard to the appearance of
parties in proceedings in the COM
merce court by intervening or on mo-
tion or otherwise we're retained.
The report retains the house pro-
vision requiring railroads to establish
and enforce reasonable classification
of property for transportation and
regulations as to classifcations, rates,
tickets, receipts and bills of lading.
The provision placing telegraph,
telephone and cable companies under
the jurisdiction of the commission is
that adopted by the house, with
further provision agreed on in con-
ference that messages be classified
into day, night, repeated, unrepeated,
night letter, commercial, press, gov
ernment and such other classes as are
lust and reasonable, and authorizing
different rates for different classes of
messages. In respect to the use of the
telephone, telegraph and cable franks
1t is provided that they shall not be
prohibited when used by officers,
agents, employees and their families.
The house amendment authorizing
the owner of a lateral branch line to
require a main line of railroad to make
proper connections was retained.
RETAIN LONG AND SHORT HAUL
To the house provision on the subject
of long and short hauls was added the
following:
"Whenever a carrier by railroad shall
in competition with a water route or
routes reduce the rates on the carriage
of any species of freight to or from
competitive points. it shall not be per-
rnitted to increase such rates unless
after hearing by the interstate COM
merce commission it shall be found
that such proposed increase rest upon
changed conditions other than the
elimination of water competition"
To the senate provisions authorizing
the suspension of an increased rate
for ten months and putting the burden
of proof on the railroad as to the
reasonableness of such increase the
conferees added: 1.-THE commission
shall give to the hearing and decision
of such question preference over all
other questions pending before it, and
decide the same as speedily as pos
sible."
The house provision to make through
rates between suburban or interurban
and steam railroads was retained.
Railroads and their agents will be
prohibited through the retention of a
senate amendment, from disclosing in
formation concerning a shippers bust
ness, except under due process Of
court.
Both the house and senate provided
that the new law shall take effect sixty
days after passage. The conferees,
however, inserted a provision that sec
tiore II. including the right of the COM
mission to suspend proposed rate IN
creases, and section 16, which author
ICES the commission to appoint COM
mittee to study stocks and bonds shah
take effect Immediately.