The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1916-08-09
ADJUSTMENT OF RAIL
MAIL RATES IN SIGHT
The Cummins Amendment Has
Been Adopted

Pci toAl HlCdodlS Wlll(lI GOlIlplSlc-
y changes the matter of trans
portation of United States mails,
in the adoption of what is known
as "The Cummins Amendment, :"
TO the Postoffice bill.
Heretofore the method of car
rying the mails by railroad and
the compensation has been pres
cribed by Congress, and in vol
luminous and much detailed reg.
ulations" issued from time to time
by the Postoffice Department.
All this has been abolished by the
new law, which contains the fol-
lowing, among other provisions
The interstate Commerce Com
mission is hereby empowered and
directed as soon as practicable to
tx and determine from time to
time the fair and reasonable rates
and compensation for the trans
portation of mail matter by rail-
way common carriers and the SER
vice connected Herewith, prescrib-
ing the method or methods bv
weight, or space, or both, or 9th
erWlse, for ascertaining such rate
or compensation, and to publish
the same, and orders so made and
published shall continue in force
until changed by the Commission
after due notice of hearing"
After prescribing in detail the
procedure for hearing by the
Commission between the various
railroad companies and the Post
office Department, the law then
provides:
AT the conclusion of the hear
ing the Commission shall estab-
l1sh by order fair, reasonable
rate or compensation to be re-
celved, at such stated times as
may be named in the order, for
the transportation of mail matter
and the service connected there
with, and during the continuance
OF the order the Postmaster-Gen-
eral shall pay the carrier from
the appropriation herein made
such rate as compensation.
Lirber the Postmaster-Gener-
al or apy such carrier may at anv
TIME after the lapse of six months
from the entry of the order as
sailed apply for a re-examination
and thereupon substantially SINH
lar proceedings shall be had with
respect to the rate or rates for
service covered by said applicat-
ION, p-o' ided said carrier or car
rierS have an interest therein
For the purpose of this sec
tlth the Interstate Commerce
Commission is hereby vested with
all the powers it is now authoriz-
ca ny l1w to exercise in the inves-
t'saalon and-ascertainment of the
BUSINESS and rasonabIeness Of
freight, passenger and express
rates to be paid by private ship
Ipers."
The law contains the following
clause:
Finding the decision of the In
t"rState Commerce Commission
as hereinafter provided for. the
eN!sTinG method and rates of rail
way mail shall remain in effect "
(the tweto visioth"s ps
1t then provides that "in order
to properly present to the Com
mission" the questions referred to
the Commission itself NAV an
prove of certain tests or expert
ments being made upon selected
mail routes or railroad systems,
Tor the purpose of furnishing in
formation to the Commission re-
garding the best methods. whe-
Their of weight, or space, or 9th
erwise, thta it should adopt. The
Commission may finally decide
upon the partnership plan for d.
vision of the earnings, such as is
now universal between the rail-
roads and express companies, and
as has been in force for many
years upon English railroads in
fixing their pay for carrying par
eel post. In England a railroad
company receives ffty-fve per
cent of the postage receipts of the
government as its compensation
for the transportation of parcel
post matter. The express COM
panies in this country pay the
railroads from forty to sixty per
cent of their receipts upon each
road for its compensation for the
service rendered to them.
From the foregoing it will be
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