Show I TENDENCY I TO CUMIE I i Interesting Facts in Commissions l missions Report I I IICHANGES ARE DEMANDED Law Must Be Amended to Meet Present Conditions Admits That the Present Law Is a Dead letter nnd Entirely InAdequate In-Adequate for Practical Uses Washington Dec 1iThc tendency to combine continues the moat significant signifi-cant feature of railway development according to the annual report of the InterState Commerce commission Is l biicd today The rl port says It Is not open to question that the competition between railroad carriers which formerly prevailed has been largely suppressed or at least brought to the condition oC effective restraint The progress of consolidation In one form or another will at no distant day confine this competition within narrow and unimportant limits because the control of most railroad property will be nersed In a few Individuals whose common Interests impel them to act in concert While this will insure ns probably nothing else can in equal degrees the observance of published tarlfi and so measurably remove some of the evils which the act was doalpncd to prevent the resulting situation involves In-volves consequences to the public which I claim the most serious attention A Jaw which might have answered the purpose when competition was relied upon to secure reasonable rates Is dernonstrably Inadequate when that competition Is dlspiccd by the most fari caching and powerful combinations combina-tions So great a change In conditions calls for corresponding change In the regulating statute The commission reaffirms its recommendations recom-mendations for amending the InterState Inter-State commerce law and urges the grave ncccsalty for legislation The report says that tho faot that no convictions have yetybeou obtained nor Indictments found In the cases of tho roads which were shown by an investigation investi-gation lat winter to be giving secret rates to grain shippers cmphaslxes the fact that the criminal provisions oC the present interState law arc practically a t dead letter |