Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1933-06-01
OHr OODer72zueNt
How 1t Operates
BY William Braekart
INTERSTATE COMMERCE
COMMISSION

been considered that this policy was
responsible for the very greatness of
our nation. commercially. 1t seems
something OF a paradox. therefore.
that we should have such an auto
cratic body as the Interstate Com
MERGE commission. an agency to which
has been delegated. even directed to
use, the most dictatorial powers. 1t
stands almost alone In this respect.
yet the records reveal very few times
when serious or sound criticism has
been leveled at 1t.
The common conception OF the com
mission is that It rules the railroads,
but 1t goes far beyond that. and the
day is not far distant when its scope
OF power will be broadened beyond
Its present limitations. Congress has
seen fit to expand It's authority from
time to time, and changing conditions
In the transportation field now are
calling for further federal control.
AS the laws now stand, the commits
sion controls all common carriers en-
gagged In transportation Of commodi-
ties or passengers by railroad In In
terstate operation. transmission ia
cilities of telephone. telegraph and
cable companies. express companies,
sleeping car companies. terminal Ia
cilitles used by interstate carriers,
car floats, car ferries, lighters, water
transportation when that Is conducted
by the same company operating rail-
road In interstate traffic.
Over the operations of those cor
porations. the commission rules as
monarch, backed. OF course, by the
laws which congress enacted. But
congress has given powers to other
agencies of the company much less
broad and at sometime or other. bit
ter criticism has been laid on their
doorsteps and scandal has tainted
their records. The commission has
gone on since 1887 unscathed.
In the dusty pages OF United States
iaws. there IS q phrase which says
that the commission shall require all
railroad rates and all other rates sub
ject to It's jurisdiction TO be lust and
reasonable" To that one legislative
enactment. therefore. you may attrih-
ute the basis OF all charges which the
carriers make whether In transporta-
ton Of freight or passengers.
Not SO many years ago It was q
practice among some railroads to give
rebates to shippers and to give free
| passes to private citizens or public
officials where such individuals might
| be Of help to the carriers. These
| practices developed real evils, because
discrimination among shippers became
common result and undue political
Influence resulted from the distribu-
ton of passes. So the commission set
about putting an end to the business
and. based upon commission findings,
congress ended the condition definite
iy by law.
In those days also, certain Of the
| railroads resorted to other tricks to
obtain business and throttle competi-
tors The commission has watched
these things through the years and has
| recommended legislation to congress
| to curb them. So the Interstate COM
| merce laws" have grown until In these
| days II Is even impossible for stock
| holders OF one railroad to elect d.
rector or an official for their corpor-
| alton unless the Interstate Commerce
| commission consents. II must be said
| that the commission has no concern
| unless the proposed selection be an
| individual holding office In another
| railroad Then 1t is vitality concerned.
| because 1t Is considered that interlock-
Ing Of dlrectorates Is an unwise pol
Icy and likely to lead to difficulties for
| one or all Of the roads SO managed.
| Minority stockholders would be VIC
| Tins
The commission started out with
| five members. In 1905. Its member
ship waA Increased to seven. and the
transportation act of 1920, the latest
important piece of rail legislation, In
| creased the membership to eleven.
| And there Is work for all to do. for the
commission not only may investigate
| and hear complaints of parties claim
| ing grievance against railroad rates or
services or practices, but 1t has au-
| thority to institute proceedings itself.
For example, under a law passed In
1914, 1t was made unlawful for any
Interstate railroad to own. operate,
| lease or have any Interest In "any COM
| peting carrier by water" In the same
law. authority was given the commits
sion to determine what constituted
competition. So, 1t takes little mag
| nation to discover how far reaching
this power was. yet the decisions made
under 1t have never been challenged In
court, d recourse allowed dissatisfied
parties.
AS another illustration OF the broad
powers available to the commission,
let 1t be stated that 1t can, and does.
tell the carriers under its Jurisdiction
how to keep their books. Il can. and
does, prescribe the forms. the actual
| designs and columns and arrange
ments, upon which the records for day
| to day and week to week and month