The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-10-24
SHIPPING BOARD HAS MORE POWER
 BY LATEST BILL
Cummins Bill also Takes Shot at Railroads; Must
 Consult I. c. 0.

Following the convention held in l February last, the National Rivers land Harbors Congress invited the commercial organizations of the coun- try to join in forming a Special Com
 mittee on Transportation Legislation i The work of this committee, which as finally made up consisted of 110 mem bers representing 8 states, was con- 1 ducted mainly by correspondence. In
 September a subcommittee of seven teen members met in Washington and made the first draft of the proposed ! legislation in the interest of water | transportation. The result of their
 work has been introduced into the
 Senate as an amendment to the Cum
 mins Bill (S. 22o6.)
 l The first section of the amendment 1 transfers to the Shipping Board all the rights in reference to canals now ex-
 ercised by the Director General of 1 Railroads under the Federal Control l Act. but authorizes the relinquish- ment of control over the canals of l New York upon request of the Gov | ernor. It also directs the Shipping Board to carry out all contracts made l by the Railroad Administration for the building of boats and barges and to continue for five years the oper-
 alton of the Government transporta-
 tion lines now established upon our l inland waterways and such addi- | tiona1 lines as it may find desirable to
 establish.
 1 The second section prevents rail- ways from reducing rates to meet wa 1 ter competition except by permission 1 of the Interstate Commerce Commis- sion, and when rates are so reduced, ! prohibits the maintenance of any i higher rates to intermediate points. 1 Existing law gives the Commission authority to order connection made i between the tracks of a rail carrier and the docks of a water carrier and to establish through routes and joint Cor proportional) rates between and over such rail and water lines. Sec tiCn 8 specifically directs the Comnis-
 sion to do thees things and also au- thorizcs the establishment of maxi mum, or minimum. or maximum and
 minimum joint Cor proportionaD rates. Section authorizes the COmmis- sion. upon application, to establish through routes and joint. or propor- tionaI, rates between connecting lines of water carriers. Section provide es
 that the absorption by a water car rier of the switching, terminal, or other charge of Q rail carrier. shall l not subject the water carrier to the provisions of the Interstate Commerce Act. Section provides that the Com mission shall have no jurisdiction over pOrt-to-pOrt rates by --~-0-. except in
 so far as may be necessary in effect ing interchange of traffic.
 Section T gives to the Departm ent of Commerce a long list of duties i with the object of promoting, en- Icouraging and developing water transportation facilities in connection with the commerce of the United ; States Among these are the inves- i tigation of boats and terminals; CO., operation with communities in the preparation of plans for terminals and in securing joint and proportional : rates by water and rail; and compil-
 ing and publishing of statistics and
 information concerning water trans . pOrta ton.