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Show MLJiGIIT Decide to Attack the Mann-EIkins Act in Courts I New York, Oct. 28. It has been definitely def-initely decided that tho railroads and express companies of the entire country coun-try will unite in an attack through the courts on the Mann-Elklns act, which was passed by congre66 last June at the urgent solicitation of President Tait. The net provides for an interstate commerce court to which railroads aud shippers alike may ap--'peal. x i The attack upon the law was do-' do-' elded upon by the conference of rail-I rail-I road lawyers from all prtu of the I United States, which has been In 6es-! 6es-! sion here for several days under the chairmanship of Colonel Henry L. Stone, general counsel for tho Louis-i Louis-i villo & Nashville railroad. The exact method of procedure Is ' in the hands of a committee of seven ! lawyers to be appointed in the near I future by Colonel Stone. The names of the men he will appoint will not be made public. Colonel Stone said before leaving for his home that most i of the lawyers who attended the con-I con-I forenee desired that secrecy be ob- served. j li is likely that Colonel Stone will I be chairman of the committee as he has taken the lend In ihe discussion ' of railroad legislation ever since the original conference of rnilroad lawyers law-yers met at Portsmouth. N. H., early 1 in August, It Is supposed that thG rnll-roads rnll-roads will attack the law on tho ground of constitutionality. There seems to be little objection to the new-established court of commerce, but a strong opposition is manifested to the extension of the powers of the interstate commerce commission as provided by the new law. The following provisions of tho act are said to bo tbo ones whose con-6tilutionallty con-6tilutionallty Is questioned by the rail-I rail-I road attorneys: A) That portion of section 15 that confers power npon the commission commis-sion to suspend a rate for a possible period of ten months, j (B) That portion of section fifteen which reserves to tho shipper the right I to route freight when taken Jn con-j con-j nection with the Carmack amendment to section twenty. (C) Long and short hauls and ag- gregate of intermediate rato clauses I os contained In section four. (D) The water route provision contained con-tained in section four. (E The provision of section f'f-tecn f'f-tecn with respect to the establishment establish-ment of through routes and joint classifications clas-sifications and joint rates by the commission. com-mission. (F) The provision of section fifteen fif-teen imposing the burden of proof tip-on tip-on the carrier as to the reasonableness reasonable-ness or justice of increased rates. |