Inter-state Commerce

Tho bul reported by the Committee on Commerce of the lower house of Congress for the regulation of inter-State commerce, and to prevent unjust discriminat.ion as to freights, charges, and faoilities by railroads and other common carriers, is accompanied by an elabórate report in favor of its passage. The report says anjong other things: " When we considcr the magnitude of the commerce of the United States, and the direct interest which the whole of our 45,000,000 people have in it, the broad extent of our country as compared with other commercial countriee, and that its internal commerce carried by railroads alone is estimated at about $18,000,000,000 in value, while it is supposed our wholo internal commerco amounts to not less than $25,000,000,000 in value, and when it is remembered that this commerce is carried on over 75,000 miles of railroad, and by steamboats and other vessels on our rivers, lakes, bays, and canals over a length of navigable waters probably exceeding half the length of all our railroads, the importance of tlie interest intended to be fostered and protected by this bill may be realized, and any measure whioh will materially benefit this vast commerce will not fail to be sensibly feit in relieving the country from its present financial and industrial embarrassments. The most of this commerce is uow carried by railroads and other corporations, each having, to some extent at least, a monopoly of the carrying business over its particular route, but in most, though not in all instances, the evils which might result from these monopolies are mitigated by competing lines of communication. Each of these corporations, when not restrained by legislative authority, can discrimínate in freight rates and charges in favor of and against whom they please, and may in this way benefit some persons and places, while they injure relatively other persons and places, as may suit their interests or inclinations. This, in fact, has been so often ione with results so injurious to many as to cali for the passage of some law to prohibit and puniBh such discriminations. One of the objects of the bill is to give an intelligible deflnition of what is to be considered inter-State freights md commerce; that is to say, property jarried by railroads or other common jarriers, which would include steamboats and all other water craft, when wholly or partly carried by such railroads or other common carriers as part )f one continuous carriage from or yo any foreign nation or country, from ?r into any State, or States, or Terri;ory, or Territories of the United States, ix in or through two or more States or rerritories of the United States, or rom within one State or Territoryof ;he United Stateï into or through one )r more other States or Territories of ;he United States, and in order that the jrovisions of the act shall not be evaded r defeated it is provided that it shall je unlawful for sueh common carriers io make any combination, connection, iontract, arrangement, or schedule, or o cause any delay in carriage, or to do my other act or thing withintentto prerent any suoh carriage from being one ubstantially continuous carriage; and t is provided that as to sucli carriages jf property the freight rates, facilities md charges shall be equal to all shipDers: and it is also provided that no more shall be charged for such interState or through freights than is charged for freight in any State through which they are passing, having reference lo identity of time and similarity of freights and services, and that equal facilities shall be allowed to each. The bilí also provides that as to such inter -State freights no more shall be charged for their carriage for a shorter than for a longer distance. In the competition of railroads especially, a practice is very general of charging very low rates for" through íreight on long roads and between remote centers of trade. These charges are often so low as to be unremunerative, and the competition for such freight is one of the fruitful causes of what has been called the railroad wars, whieh nave often proved so injurious, not to say disastrous, both to the competing raiíroads and the commercial interests of the communities involved in them. The bilí has for its object the correction of great and manifest abuses, and the prevention of unjust discrimmations of common carriers agívinst snippers who are entitled to equality of terms. It impofies no unjust or eveninconvenient burdens on such common carriers. It does not attempt to regúlate and fix a maximum or minimum of rates of freight aDd charges, or to deal m matters of detail as to transportation. The bilí requires, among other things, that all persons or corporations engaged in business as commou carriers shall keep posted in at least five places in every depot or station in every city or village, having a population of 1,000, through or to which thier lines may run, a detailed schedule of tariff rates, ■which schedule shall not be changed without five days' notice. The _prohibitions against carrying freight at less than schedule rates are not to apply to Gjvernment business, or to the transportation of articles for public fairs or charitable purposes. The committee quote authority to show that Congress has the power to enact such a law as they propose, and argüe that, as Oongress only can furnish the remedy for the evils cited, the time has come when this duty should be performed.