Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-12-07
|C||hkFR|]E' B||ARD
NAN|SAANlCAANGLl
SWEEPING REVISION OF METH
OBS soF MAKING RATES
REcoMMENOso.
WOULD PLACE suRDeN
OF PROOF ON LINES
PRESENT System of Making Rate
Changes and Compelling Shippers to
Show unreasonableness Thereof 10
Condemned as Unfair-PIans sus-
sested For Relieving Car Shortages.

|
commerce commission in its annuai re-
port today to congress recommended
sweeping change HI methods OF estao-
fishing freight and passenger rates ~
that shippers would not longer be com
PEELED to show proposed rate uhrea-
sonable or see it become effective. Gar
riers seeking to alter rate Woulo oe
compelled to show the change was rea-
sonable. -,
The Recommendation is that Dy
statute congress fix the interstate
rates, fares, charges, classihcations'
rules and regulations existing at spe-
cific date, prior to that Of enactment,
as Just and reasonable for the past, ana
proyide that no charge therein after
that snecified date may be made except
upon order of the commission; Win
provision that such statute snaii ny.
affect the proceedings pending At tho
time Of enactment"
The purpose of the suggestion is saio
TO be mainly to correct flaws IN the
present method by which an injured
shipper seeks reparation for paymeea'
Iof q higher rate than subsequently y
approved by the commission
It-was said, however that the enec.
| of such legislation would be radical
ifupon methods of rate estapilshHlehe'
lat present tariffs proposing rate
changes filed by the railroads become
Cooperative on a fixed date unless sus-
pended by the commission ana sho"h
on hearing to be unreasonable, unjust
Tor discriminatory. If existing rates
are declared by statute to be just ana
reasonable, itiwas pointed out, the bur
den will be ION those who wish TO
change them.
The necessity for 1exibility in order
to fairly meet rapidly changing INDUS :
trial and commercial conditions, says
the report in this connection, lis fully
lrecognized, but the soundness OF the
theory of leaving. each carrier free to
Initiate its own rates and thus invest
ling each Of, them with the power to
overthrow or seriously disturb an ad-
| justment that Is recognized az reason
able and fair by the overwhelming ma
jority Of the carriers and shippers IN
terested therein, may well be doubted.
"All rates, fares, and charges nave
been open to complaint for period OF
more than ten years. within which the
commission had power to AZ the III
lture maximum rates. For q period OF
more than six years all proposed in
creased rates have been subject TO pi o.
test and suspension before becomins
lenective. obviously there should come
a time when as to the past the general
level Of the rates and the relationship
OF rates should be fixed as reasonable.
i oP MD od This
would make 1t possible to apply the en-
ergies expended upon rate controver-
sizes in the direction Of constructive
work for the future instead OF expend-
ing them upon controversies as to rep
| aration for the past, with every proba-
bility that in a majority OF the cases
the one who ultimately bore the charge
will never be reached by the repara-
ton" -
Car Shortage Relief Plan.
| To relieve car shortage the commits
sion asks legislation giving it authority
to prescribe rules governing inter-
change Of cars. return to owning roads,
loading conditions on foreign roads
and compensation for the use ofs..ars.
vt seems to us beyond question,
says the report, that largely increased
railroad facilities are necessary to ad-
equately handle the commerce of the
country and that In some way those
facilities must be provided. Obviously
this cannot be done by leaving these
matters for determination by unani-
nous vote of all the carriers of the
country. Within certain limits the
force Of competition between carriers
cannot be denied. The carrier that de-
/ sires to participate in the movement OF
traffic must carry II as cheaply as its
competitor. 1t must accord as liberal
rules and regulations as are accorded
by it's competitor, and these competi-
tive influences make unanimtty OF
opinion as to what are proper rules
and regulations more difficult OF at
Itainment than It ~ o,iii otherwise be.
From these facts and experiences. and
a study Of these considerations oyer
substantial period, we are led to the
conclusion that reasonable degree OF
the desired and necessary Improvement
can be reached within any reasonable
time only BY yest.nS power &c regulate
these questions for all railroads in the
appropriate federar body and also pro-
viding means by which rules and reg
ulatlons promulgated cdH ue e iihohSu.
The commission further recommends
that unless the suggestion for fixing
existing rates by statute is followed
the law be changed 70 curtail the present
period Of suspension and resuspension
'of filed rate from fourteen months to
a year and that railroads be required
\ to give sixty instead Of the present
Ethirty days notice Of proposed rate
changes.
1t also asks for legislation to permit