THIRTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INTERSTATE (OMMERCE (OMMISSION, JAINTUARY 15, 1900. WASHINGTON: Hon. THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION. MARTIN A. KNAPP, of New York, Chairman. *. CON TENTS. Page. AMENDMENTs to THE LAW ------------------------------------------------ 5 CoNFERENCEs witH RAILwAY PRESIDENTS ---------------------------------- 8 CHANGES IN FREIGHT CLASSIFICATION AND AdvancEs IN FREIGHT RATEs by CARRIERs USING THE OFFICIAL CLASSIFICATION---------------------------- 12 CASEs DECIDED BY THE CoMMISSION---------------------------------------- 20 Export rates--------------------------------------------------------- 20 Greater charge for shorter than for longer hauls ------------------------ 28 Relative rates -------------------------------------------------------- 33 Publication of rates--------------------------------------------------- 42 Floating cotton------------------------------------------------------- 42 Cases settled--------------------------------------------------------- 43 Civil CASEs PENDING IN THE Courts-------------------------------------- 44 CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS --------------------------------------------------- 45 FoRMAL PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COMMISSION ----------------------------- 46 GENERAL OFFICE WORK of THE COMMISSION-------------------------------- 49 SAFETY APPLIANCEs------------------------------------------------------- 50 CASUALTIES to RAILROAD EMPLOYEEs-------------------------------------- 54 STATISTICs of RAILWAYS -------------------------------------------------- 57 Final report for the year ending June 30, 1898-------------------------- 57 Mileage-------------------------------------------------------------- 58 Classification of railways---------------------------------------------- 58 Equipment ---------------------------------------------------------- 58 Number of employees ------------------------------------------------ 59 Capitalization and valuation of railway property ----------------------- 60 Public service of railways--------------------------------------------- 60 Earnings and expenses------------------------------------------------ 61 Roads operated by receivers------------------------------------------- 62 Railway accidents---------------------------------------------------- 62 Conclusion----------------------------------------------------------- 63 Earnings of railway property------------------------------------------ 64 PRELIMINARY REPORT on THE INCOME AND ExPENDITUREs of RAILwAYS For THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1899--------------------------------------- 64 Court Decisions--------------------------------------------------------- 66 The Chattanooga case ------------------------------------------------ 66 The La Grange case -------------------------------------------------- 68 The Georgia Railroad Commission cases-------------------------------- 69 The live-stock terminal charge case------------------------------------ 71 Removal of indicted persons to other judicial districts for trial----------- 73 Exemption of witnesses from prosecution after testifying in proceedings under the act ------------------------------------------------------ 74 Special rate contracts------------------------------------------------- 75 Court DECISIONs—Continued. - Power of Congress to authorize a Federal court to review the action of an executive officer---------------------------------------------------The South Dakota and North Dakota maximum-rate cases-------------Automatic couplers-------------------------------------------------- NATIONAL CONVENTION OF RAILROAD CoMMISSIONERs----------------------- APPENDICEs. . Name and compensation of all employees, together with a statement of appropriations and expenditures------------------------------------ . Points decided by the Commission since its organization ----------------. Senate bill 1439–The Cullom bill -------------------------------------. Automatic Couplers–Railway Casualties ------------------------------. Statistics of railways in the United States. Report for year ending June - 0. . Preliminary report on the income account of railways in the United States for the year ending June 30, 1899 ----------------------------------- Index ------------------------------------------------------------------ R E PORT OF THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION. WASHINGTON, D. C., January 15, 1900. To the Senate and House of Representatives: The Thirteenth Annual Report of the Interstate Commerce Commission is respectfully submitted to the Congress. In its last annual report the Commission stated that attention had been called in previous reports to the vital respects in which the act to regulate commerce has proved defective and inadequate; that the present law can not be properly enforced, and that until further legislation is provided the best efforts at regulation must be feeble and disappointing. The requests of the Commission for needful amendments have been supported by petitions and memorials from agricultural, manufacturing, and commercial interests throughout the country; yet not a line of the statute has been changed and none of the burdensome conditions which call for relief have been removed or modified. The reasons for the failure of the law to accomplish the purposes for which it was enacted have been so frequently and fully set forth that repetition can not add to their force or make them better understood. It is sufficient to say that the existing situation and the developments of the past year render more imperative than ever before the necessity for speedy and suitable legislation. We therefore renew the recommendations heretofore made and earnestly urge their early consideration and adoption. Many persons do not understand the precise nature of the amendments required for enforcing the substantive provisions of the act, while others have apparently reached the belief that no scheme of regulation short of Government ownership and operation can be made effective. Nevertheless, it is perhaps safe to say that nine-tenths of the people do know that any railroad company can charge for its service whatever it pleases and as much as it pleases, without any real power in this commission, or any other tribunal or court, to limit the amount of such charge for the future when complaint is made by an aggrieved shipper, and that they are substantially of one mind |