Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 104, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1907 — ASK CHANGE IN LAW [ARTICLE]

ASK CHANGE IN LAW

IMPROVEMENT OF BHERMAN STATUTE SOUGHT. Tnfle te*c«« Wmati AH»el*(loaa •t Carrtem LeealUed Pan! y , P. 1., Terrorised br Mlier»*n(, — Kill with Polraard Rapier!. ■ j li.n . i Amendment of the Sherman anti-trust law so as to permit associations of common carriers in a given territory for- the purpose of establishing rates and classifications was urged at the meeting of the board of directors of the National Industrial Traffic League at the Great Northern hotel in Chicago. Such associations and agreements, the league decided, are essential to any sort of satisfactory trade conditions. The league recommended, however, that all agreements and associations of this 1 sort be under the direct supervision of the interstate commerce commission, and President Roosevelt’s attitude, as reported in press accounts, was cited as favorable to this plan. The league represents 40,000 shippers. It further an record as favoring the addition to the interstate commerce commission of • practical railroad man or two and some one fully conversant with the needs of the shippers. Members of the board 1 of directors seemed not inclined to accept what the interstate commerce law defines as the shippers’ responsibility. It was contended that the railroads should be entirely responsible for rates quoted to shippers, and the assertion was made that not only couldao outsider make sense out of a railway tariff, but that railway employes themselves are often unable to do it. After much debate the meeting declared that the interstate commerce commission has no jurisdiction over car-ser-vice rules or those. covering demurrage, holding that In these instances the railway acts simply in the character of a warehnnwnun. The next meeting of the league will be held in 'Washington Oct. 10.