| Show What the Interstate Commerce Commission Has Done Is Do Doing Doig ing and Hopes to Do Franklin K Lne Lane iane a member of oC the Interstate Commerce commission out a prepared Interview today tolay designed designed designed de de- de- de signed to let the time railroads and the public lublic generally know what tho the commission commission com corn mission wants In the way of further federal legislation to lo extend the functions tune tune- Ions of or tout thai body hody to the point nearest perfect tons usefulness to the tho country Mr tir Jr Lane does docs not pretend to speak officially of or- on behalf of the commission as asa asa a whole but hut a poll pol of oC Us Its Is Individual members would reveal views practically practical practical- I ly 13 identical with wih those hel held by him Commissioner Lane says says that now that the tho commission has gained a a really really real real- ly Jy practical point of usefulness legis- legis lallon laton I Is nee needed ed lo tu cover time the following Important points demanded to reach Co completion ni Ion Tho The commission wants tire the power Jower to lo tomake tomake make rules governing such matters maters as the tho furnishing of oC cars to shippers It I wants want the power to lo control the theof movement of cars car's at a minimum rate ate after aCol they are aro loaded It I wants to have have plenary power powel to control the mattel mailer matel of Iho tho Ion Uon lon of or railroads II It I wants to be given power to prevent prevent pre pre- vent the time watering of or railroad stocks It I wants increased powers lowers respecting respect respect- In ing the tho regulation of all al l kind hind of rates It I wants more power powel governing the movement of freight eight to consignees These points in Iii brief explained Commissioner Lane cover the lie mo most t Important features of railroading over which the commission desires to have ha c comprehensive authority Extension Ion of ol It hI was held by the lie Supreme court as Is generally known he lie continued In beginning a review revie ew of the powers which have bave thus far been grunted to lo lotho tho ho commission and what it still desires desires de de- c- c sires that thai prior to recent enactment the commission was without power to fix fx rates rales The decision as as that the toe commissions commission's functions were little littlemore moro more mor than advisory In character The Time Hepburn bill 1111 hi however promptly granted this power to fix fx rates in a away away away way that would mean relief to shippers ship ship- pers Tills This was as the chief extension of power given ghen the commission up UI to t this time but under an act of the lie last congress express companies and sleeping sleep sleep- in lug ing car com companies panics were brought under the jurisdiction of or the commission lon and now nois' the time power to regulate the rates rales of oC these companies is as absolute as the power POmer to re regulate freight fleight and amid passenger ger rates generally We rc have exercised this power on companies continued Commissioner Commissioner Com Corn missioner Lane Lamie and recent recently complaints complaints com coin plaints have been filed with wita us re respecting re- re rates charged by the Pullman company The commission was also given I cn power powel under the Hepburn act to Institute Institute tute a uniform accounting for all al In Interstate In- In carriers In the united States which are aie some sonic I 1200 OO In Iii number an and amid operating approximately 2 OOOO miles mies of ot in the country This system system tem tern of oC accounting has just been put into effect It I requires detailed accounts accounts ac ac- counts affecting a a large number of matter mater which heretofore have had no fro fo railroads This will In iii effect bring about JI a basis upon which tho the earnings of one erie railroad can n be bc properly proper and amid Intelligently compared COI- COI com coni- pare pared with the ea earnings of another an and upon which the operating expenses of or orone one road cans can be bo compared with those of another In a lar large e number of ways too tho public will wi be able to secure a more c exact act knowledge of Important important Im Jm- im- im facts respecting time the railroads particularly In to what sums sums the railroads are spending and what the they are earning Rebate Discovery Easy We e also now have the time power to examine the time books of all al the railroads and through a a uniform system of accounting ac ac- ac- ac counting such as us a we now have It will vill willbe wi be much easier casler to trace cases eases of or re rebates rebates rebates re- re bates amid the granting of or special fa faor favors Ia- Ia vors or granted to shippers which of course arc are a against the tIme law You asked ed me what t the tho 0 commission commission commission commis commis- sion has done clone what It has accomplished pl hed Wo We 0 have spent a considerable consider consider- ble portion porton of our time during the past year in what ma may be termed terme preparatory preparatory pre work worl that is to s say in the for the of greater uniformity in the tho practice and methods of ot railroads throughout the lie country countr generally general Wo Ye are endeavoring endeavor endeavor- h ing imig to secure a uniform of of all aU freight and a uniform bill of lading and w are arc offering ottering lion ton of or the laws Jaws to all al railroads for the sake of or having railroad practice conform conform conform con con- form to those laws law Its Greater Future Efficiency Will Wil Be Guaranteed by the Extension of Its Powers by Congress A cr very considerable part art of our OUI work ork has been been beams in construing the hue acts of congress so 80 that t tho ho Q railroads unde unde under un un- un- un de der all al sorts of or conditions anti and circumstances circum circum- stances ma may know kow wh t is required o of them This wo we have havo done ne without formal for fur mal inal complaint but lUt whenever a question queston ques clueS Ion tion ton has arisen and IL 11 has as been leen indicated indi ind- ind to us that thaL tho the i showed any doubt whatever OK as u. u to the proper Interpretation of tho the law we wo have made a rull ruling ur upon n I 1 lie he queston question in involved Iii In- so 50 that the railroads might know precisely what the law was to tu which thc they were and arc required to lo conform l Corrected Popular The Time theory theor of present present legislation is that the tIme Is thoroughly a regulating l body d This is a point the lie general public dl doesn't sut understand Tho he railroads have o time the right to fix a rate rale The he commission does docs not miot notI Ix lI I fix a rate ate except pon lipomi complaint and If after a hearing we wo decide that the lie rate made by the time railroad Is excessive si then then we ie arc aie authorized by hy law la to lo re reduce reduce re- re 1 duce time the tax upon time tho shipper or Pus pas The people also think quite lUite generally gener onel- onel ally any that there her i is a power within the lie commis commissions commission's lons lon's juris jurisdiction to lo make malc such rules for the control and amid operation operation opera opera- tion ton of railroads In certain other respects ro- ro which it H Is well wel to lo offer an explanation about For Instance I have a letter on OT m my mimy desk from a man mami manIn manIn In Iii California Tho nhu says that thal he lie has uris had a shipment In transit for or several months monto and amid he lie asks the commission to lo order ordel the railroad hurry that shipment shipment ship ship- ment to him and amid also to send hint him a copy cop of the time rules governing such ship sulp- monts Of or course courne we wc have no power to or order er a railroad to conform to that mans man's wishes In the tho transportation of or shipment shIpment and amil we hove have no power to makr mak rules rule governing the tho movement of oC freight It I would bo be well iveli wel if wo WA had such powers but thus fa tam far I congress congre s has not seen fit f to grant gramit rant t them em to time the corn com commission m mission Now ow continued Commissioner L' L Lane I e the lie railroads have ha voluntarily made mate many reductions In rates rales The Southern Pacific the lie AtchIson Topeka and amid Santa Fe and tho ho San Pedro lines limies Jnes made a reduction of 10 cents upon every one hundred pounds of oranges c shipped out of southern California which brought to lo the tho orange growers on omi tho time basis of or their crop last year car a n saving of 8 In their Cr freight J pay ments Of OC course railroads as a rule than other othet are ne no more charitable an any class o of ot corporation and antI It I is a wise statute which gives to a body like Iw the the Interstate Commerce commission the lie right lo tu rea readjust jl l an exorbitant freight rate rale when whoa a sniper complains Stopped The work of the commission has been largely devoted to the lie suppression sion slun of discriminations in imi lavor layer of one locality and amid against another similarly sim sim- situated so that the tho locality discriminated a against tin t labored under n n. handicap which brou brought hl upon it i n. n n great and dangerous loss We Vc have practically stopped discrimination as between Individuals The rhe old rebating s system stem Is not nearly nearl so o prevalent as asI asU U it I was isas a ye yen year I or two Iwo a ago o. o and amid the railroads railroads rail rail- rai- rai roads are all al coming comin to lo have a very wholesome respect for tho the law and andas as a rule the they arc are trying t-ing t to tu conduct their business usines In iii conformity with wih the laws Jaws The rime great eat purpose In all al our Ol railroad laws is to put all things anti and andall all al bodies eu on an aim equal footing so su that lint small smal manufacturing plants plant ma may have ha exactly tIme the same privileges and be allowed the lie same sammie rates on omm railroads as the time big establishments and so that the time small smal manufacturers may be able to do 10 business In competition with the large manufacturers The rue abolishment of discriminatory railroad practices as affecting individuals an and amid communities I is an important work to which we have been een oln de devoting a great deal leal of time And that thal devotion o of lime timmie has ha accomplished a world of or good The reports of the time commission of course do not show c that we v have done and Ue are arc doing and I am therefore there fore justified In iii saying that lint thousands ds of cases where discrIminatIon has been abolished monopoly crushed and com com- petItIon made possible have been effected ef of- by the commission Connect Lines The Time commission now has the time power la tn a mal make e joint rates an and amid t routes route so that it I is not possible for a n railroad railroad rail rail- ri- ri road to refuse an alliance alance with an another another another an- an other and amid smaller road where e there has never been a through h route concluded concluded con comm eluded Mr Jr Lane in his summing up of oC conditions Ve We e have power also alsoto to lo require a railroad to lo permit a branch road to lo make connectIon with the tIme main load time road the two roads being owned an and amid operated by ly separate sepal bands of 0 capitalists capitalists so so so that the time larger roa road is not able to lo kill ki or ot even cripple the smaller road In other words our OU function in iii that respect mal makes es It I impossible im lam- possible for a powerful road to crush cripple or ot 01 ruin a small rO road d whose business life and amid existence is only possible pos pos- sible by connection with the lie larger road The Time power of or the time commission thus gives t the e death knoll Imol to te tl such uch ucha a forn p pf monopoly 1 a h sc wh liro rO s several veral m men n owned d valuable valuable coal joal al Jn Jn's s I In Wyoming t A running n nearby h refused their frans- frans bu business evi evidently nty because the they were paid laid strong rates rutes by an opposition op oJ- oh- oh position coal company to discriminate against them But that thai railroad knew we had the power to compel them to refrain from Crom and amid when the roa roads road's s 's officers heard the thc ease case ase was wa to come before us on complaint lost no time line In Iii surrendering to the tho Wyoming men who had been the victims vic vic- ic tims of an unjust and unlawful this ills tl- tl CI crimination i nm i ima 0 mm That concluded Commissioner Laile Lamle was a fine example o of what the powers of oC tIme the Interstate Commerce Commerce Com Corn merce commission are ae accomplishing today As a tocsin let m me inc cite cie this a as our functions We re are crushing monopoly we ie are putting nil all at men and amid all al business concerns concerns con con- cerns dealing with railroads upon a common level of or privilege and amid we wc will wi not allow alow railroads to control Industries Industries Indus Indus- tries by offering rebates to certain men and t trying ing to murder smaller concerns That sums the tho situation up lp accordingly according ly I to our OUI work vork o of toda today |
