THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION. Hon. WILLIAM R. MORRISON, of Illinois, Chairman. Hon. CHARLES A. PROUTY, of Vermont. EDWARD A. MOSELEY, Secretary. Original suits in court based on alleged unreasonable tariff rates. Mandamus proceedings to compel carriers to file annual reports with the Power and duty of the Commission as to unreasonable rates since decision Damages for refusing to forward freight over an existing through route.. Lower rates on “ex-lake grain" in cargo lots than on such grain in car- APPENDICES. A. Names and compensation of all employees, together with a statement of appropriation and expenditures.. B. Points decided by the Commission since its organization. C. Statement showing total number of freight schedules filed from July 1, 1896, to June 30, 1897, inclusive, and number which failed to give legal notice of advances and reductions in rates; also percentage of schedules failing REPORT OF THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION. WASHINGTON, D. C., December 6, 1897. To the Senate and House of Representatives: The Eleventh Annual Report of the Interstate Commerce Commission is respectfully transmitted for the consideration of Congress. The office or exclusively administrative work of the Commission for the year has been similar in character to that reported for previous years. In some of its branches this work has considerably increased. One hundred and eighteen thousand seven hundred tariffs or schedules of rates and charges and classifications were received and receipted for, compared, examined, indexed, and filed, and two hundred and sixty-nine thousand and forty-eight certificates of concurrence of carriers adopting the tariffs of rates and charges established by other carriers were received, receipted for, examined, compared, filed, and such concurrence indicated. The Ninth Annual Report of Statistics of Railways was completed and is to be published in a separate volume as an appendix, and is part of this report. The adjustment and effort to adjust complaints and alleged grievances through correspondence, without formal hearing and trial, still make up an important part of the daily administrative work of the Commission. In connection with this administrative work, including the general correspondence of the office, 123,346 letters have been received, and 84,424 have been sent from the office of the Commission; and annual, statistical, and miscellaneous reports have been issued and distributed to the number of 73,570. The names and compensation of the persons employed by the Commission, together with a statement of expenditures, are given in Appendix A. ENFORCEMENT OF THE ACT. The formal hearings of cases and the investigations made at the office of the Commission in the city of Washington, where its general sessions are held, were less in number during the last than in some previous years. With a view to promoting the convenience of the public and all parties to proceedings and investigations, and to prevent probable expense, the Commission held special sessions, made investigations, and by one or more of the Commissioners prosecuted inquiries at Austin, Tex.; Boston, Mass.; Buffalo, N. Y.; Chicago, Ill. (three ses |