The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-09
RAILROADS MUST YIELD
| TO 0NE-MAsT TER CONTROL
Interstate Commerce Commission Is
Declared Paramount by De-
Cision Of Supreme Court.
SHREVEPORT CASE IS SETTLED
Where Federal and State Bodies Con-
flict In Fixing Rates, Latter Must
Give Way to Power Conferred
by Congress.

Washington. June S.-A long step to-
wards placing railroads under one
master. Instead OF many. was taken
to day by the United States Supreme
Court upholding the power of the In
terstate Commerce Commission to
strike down state rates that discrimi-
nate against interstate commerce. In
substance. the court said that the Min
nesota and other recent State rate
cases in which the railroads lost
might have been decided otherwise
had the roads gone 10 the commission
for relief instead of the courts.
The decision was announced by JUS
tice Hughes. Justices Pitney and Lur-
ton dissenting. The case arose out of
complaints by Shreveport UouisIana)
merchants that the Texas Railroad
Commission had shut them out OF all
Texas business by compelling the rail-
ronds to reduce Texas State rates far
below what the Interstate Commerce
Commission allowed the railroads run
ming from Shreveport to Texas cities
to charge.
UPON COMMISSION
The court first decided that Congress
had power TO control interstate
charges over an interstate carrier to
the extent necessary to prevent in
furious Determinations against inter-
Sthtc tlNlliC, anu lltli Heiu tntl Con
Gress had conferred this power upon
tho Interstate Commerce Commits OIL II.
The fact that carriers are instru-
ments of intrastatc commerce, as we'll
as of Interstate commerce." said JUS
ticc Hughes. does not derogate from
the complete and paramount authority
OF Congress over the latter or preclude
tho Federal power from being eXcTtcd
to prevent the interstate operations OF
such carriers from being mado Il
means of injury to that which has
been contdcd to Federal care.
Wherever the interstate and intra-
state transactions of carriers arc SO
related that the government Of the
one involves the control of the other
1t Is Congress, and not the STATE. that
Is entitled To prescribe the final and
dominant rule, for otherwise Congress
would be denied the exercises of its
constitutional authority, and the State,
rot the nation. would be supreme with
in the national field"
III removing Determinations against
Interstate commerce. the court held
Congress was not bound to reduce tho
interstate rates below what 1t may
doom to be Il proper standard to the
carrier and the public.
"cthcrwsc." said tho opinion. 'it
could prevent the injury to Interstate
commerce only by the sacrifice OF Its
judgment as to Interstate rates"
DOES NOT CONFLICT
WITH FORMER CASES
Justice Hughes, who wrote tho
courts decision In the rate cases OF
n year ago, pointed out that the pres
ent case did not conflict with those
cases. He said that In the absence OF
finding by the commission of unjust
Determinations, intrastatc rates un-
doubtcdly were left to be fixed by the
carrier. and subject to the authority
OF the States.
1--WE are not unmindful OF the
gravity OF the question that Is pre-
sentcd when State and Federal views
conflict" the opinion concluded. but
II was recognized at the beginning
that the nation could not prosper II
Continued On Tenth Pago)