edly enacted in that view, and careful consideration was given to that aspect of the case in disposing of it. The representatives of the railway employees thought that a year's extension should be granted, and no more. The Commission felt that the carriers could not possibly comply within that time, and that it was better for the employees themselves to fix a limit within which general compliance could and probably would be made. We should, perhaps, add that the progress which carriers are actually making at the present time in putting on this equipment indicates that they have at last seriously undertaken this work. The Commission is of the opinion that at the expiration of the extension granted the great bulk of freight cars will be equipped, so that no general hardship will result from the enforcement of the law. FORMAL PROCEEDINGS INSTITUTED BEFORE THE COMMISSION. Thirty-four cases, involving the rates or practices of 273 carriers, have been instituted before or by the Commission during the year. The basis of complaint in each proceeding is as follows: 480. Passenger rates between Charleston and other points in South Carolina and Savannah, Ga. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 alleged. 481 and 482. Refusal of connecting carriers to join with roads composing the Seaboard Air Line in through special or holiday excursions to and from points reached by the Seaboard Air Line, while permitting and joining in similar excursions with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and the Southern Railway Company. Violation of sections 2 and 3 alleged. 483. Rates on grain from Missouri River points to Milwaukee. Chicago, and other points. Violation of sections 1 and 3 alleged. 484. Rates on hoop or band iron and steel and other barrel material from points in Ohio and Pennsylvania to Hawkinsville, Ga. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 alleged. Reparation claimed. 485. Rates on staves, heading, and other barrel material from points in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky to Hawkinsville, Ga. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 alleged. Reparation claimed. 486. Rates on asbestos roofing and pipe covering from Summerdale, Ill., to Lima, Ohio. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 alleged. Reparation claimed. 487. Rates on oyster pails from Cincinnati and tin cans from Baltimore and Chicago to Biloxi, Miss., as compared with rates from the same points to New Orleans. Rate on coal from Brookwood, Ala., to Biloxi, Miss., as compared with the rate on coal from the same point to New Orleans. Rate on canned goods from Biloxi, Miss., to Atlanta, Ga., as compared with the rate from New Orleans to Atlanta. Rate on canned goods from Biloxi, Miss., to Montgomery, Ala., as compared with the rate on canned goods from New Orleans to Chicago. Rates on canned goods from Biloxi, Miss., to Cincinnati, Ohio, Louisville, Ky., Nashville and Knoxville, Tenn., Birmingham, Ala, Greensboro, N. C. Baltimore, Md., and intermediate points. Failure to print and post rate schedules. Refusal to forward traffic over routes directed by shippers. Violation of sections 1, 3, 4, and 6 alleged. 488. Rates on vegetables from Gainesville and other points in Florida to New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and other northeastern cities. Violation of sections 1 and 3 alleged. 489. Rates on grain and grain products from or through Chicago and Chicago junction points and points taking Chicago rates to Atlantic seaports and intermediate destinations. Violation of act, particularly sections 2, 3, and 6, alleged. 490. Rates on cotton to and from Memphis, and other points in Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. Rates on compressed and uncompressed cotton. Failure to publish and file proper rate schedules. "Floating cotton." Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 alleged. 491. Unjust classification of nerve food with patent medicines instead of in a lower class with beer, mineral water, and other beverages. Violation of sections 1, 2, and 3 alleged. 492. Investigation of alleged unlawful rates and practices in grain transportation by the Chicago and Great Western Railway Company, supplementary to investigation, in which decision was rendered against the company on January 26, 1897. (7 I. C. C. Rep. 33.) 494. Higher rates on brick in carloads when received from a connecting line at a point in Pennsylvania than the carrier charged on local shipments of brick from the same point to the same destinations, and higher also than the carrier charged from more distant points of shipment on its own line. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 alleged. 495. Charges in excess of tariff rates on coal from Kansas City to points in Kansas. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, and 6 alleged. Reparation claimed. 496. Storage of property free or at nominal charges and waiver of car demurrage; acting as forwarding and distributing agents in reshipment or distribution of large shipments or quantities by carrier's agent in smaller lots as directed by owner. Failure to enforce published rules and regulations, and discrimination in granting storage privileges. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 alleged. 497. Rates on iron pipe fittings shipped in cases from Philadelphia to Atlanta unduly higher than rates charged on shipments between the same points of such fittings on barrels. Violation of sections 1, 2, and 3 alleged. 498. Rates on kaolin in carloads from Bath and Langley, S. C., to Augusta, Ga. Failure to publish and file tariff. Violation of sections 1, 2, and 3 alleged. 499. Discrimination in furnishing cars for coal to be shipped from complainant's mines in the Pocahontas coal field, West Virginia, and preference in that respect of a combination of operators controlling all the other mines in that field. Violation of section 3 alleged. 500. Rates on barytes from Gardner, Va., over a rail and water line to New York as compared with the rate from Hot Springs, Va., by that line to New York, and refusal to allow free lighterage at New York on Gardner shipments, though such free lighterage is granted to barytes shipments from Hot Springs. Violation of sections 1, 2, and 3 alleged. 501. Charge in excess of tariff rates on a carload of peaches shipped from Benton Harbor, Mich., to Bridgeport, Conn. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, and 6 alleged. 502. Discrimination in demurrage charges and time allowed for unloading cars loaded with grain shipped to interior points in favor of coal and other commodities consigned to New York, Philadelphia, and other seaboard points. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 alleged. 504. Rates on babbitt metal and other freights from Chicago to Butte, Mont., as compared with lower rates from Chicago to Northern Pacific coast points. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 alleged. 506. Rates on live poultry and other commodities from Marshfield and other points in Missouri to Chicago, Ill., as compared with lower rates for longer distances on like freight shipped from Springfield and other Missouri points to Chicago. Refusal to make joint rates from Marshfield and said other points, though such rates are in force from Springfield and other stations. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 alleged. 507. Rates on freight articles from St. Louis, Louisville, Cincinnati, Nashville, Birmingham, and New Orleans higher for the shorter distance to Valdosta, Ga., than for the longer distance to Savannah, Ga., Jacksonville or Palatka, Fla. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 alleged. 508. Rates on freight articles from New York, Cincinnati, Nashville, Chattanooga, and New Orleans higher for the shorter distance to Dawson, Ga., than for the longer distance to Americus, Albany, or Georgetown, Ga., or Eufaula, Ala. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 alleged. 509. Complaint against rail and water lines similar to that in No. 496 against all-rail lines. 510. Rates on freight articles between Greensboro, Durham, and Raleigh, N. C., and Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, Boston, and Providence higher than rates on like freight for shorter distances by defendant lines between Danville, Va., and Philadelphia and New York, Baltimore, Boston, or Providence. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 alleged. 511. Rates on freight articles between Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Providence, and points in North Carolina, Catawba to Paint Rock, inclusive, higher for shorter distances than rates on like traffic carried over longer distances between Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, or Providence and Morristown or Knoxville, Tenn. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 alleged. 513. Rates from Chicago and other points, Mississippi River points and Missouri River points, to Denver and other Colorado points less than for shorter distances over same line. Violation of section 4 alleged. 514. Petition of milk shippers over Ulster and Delaware and West Shore Railroads from points in New York to Weehawken, N. J., for modification of order entered March 13, 1897, in case of Milk Producers' Protective Association. 516. Rates on freight articles from Cincinnati, East St. Louis, Louisville, Chicago, and Indianapolis higher to Greensboro, Durham, and Raleigh, N. C., and other points than to Norfolk, Va. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 alleged. 516. Rate on vegetables from Anna, Ill., to Milwaukee, Wis. Violation of sections 1, 2, and 3 alleged. 518. Rates on freight articles to Cincinnati, East St. Louis, Louisville, Chicago, and Indianapolis higher from Greensboro, Durham, and Raleigh, N. C., and other points in North Carolina than from Norfolk, Va., and Virginia common points. Violation of sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 alleged. Of the complaints above described the following have been dismissed, withdrawn, or satisfied by action of the carriers: 481, 482, 491, 494, 495, 501. Applications for relief from the operation of the fourth section have been filed as follows: 493. Application of Great Northern Railway Company and others for relief from the operation of section 4 in the transportation of passengers to and from points in the Kootenai mining district in British Columbia. 503. Application of Chicago and Eastern Illinois for relief from the operation of section 4 in respect of freight transportation between Chicago, Ill., and La Crosse, Wilders, Wheatfield, and Fair Oaks, Ind., longer-distance points, and intermediate stations in Indiana. 505. Application of Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company for relief from operation of fourth section in respect of freight transportation to Chicago, Ill., for longer distances from Syracuse and other points in New York than for shorter distances over its line from points in New York between Little York and Atlanta, N. Y. 517. Application of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway Company for relief from operation of section 4 in respect of freight transportation from St. Louis and other points for longer distances to Houston and Galveston than for shorter distances over the same line to Dallas, Fort Worth, and other points in Texas. Case No. 512 relates to applications by carriers for extension of time beyond January 1, 1898, to comply with provisions of the safety-appliance act requiring cars and locomotives used in interstate commerce to be fitted with automatic couplers and train brakes. Hearings and investigations held during the year have involved the following matters: Relative rates on lumber from Eau Claire, Oshkosh, and La Crosse, Wis., and Winona and Minneapolis, Minn., to Missouri River points (supplemental investigation). Freight rates to Kearney, Nebr., as compared with those charged to Omaha and other Missouri River points from points in Eastern, Southern, and Western States. Higher rates on sugar and molasses from New Orleans to Nashville, Tenn., than for the longer distance to Louisville, Ky. Higher freight rates from Cincinnati and Louisville to Gallatin, Tenn., than for the longer distance to Nashville, Tenn. Relation of rates on corn from points in Kansas to Galveston, New Orleans, and other Texas and Louisiana destinations, as compared with rates on corn from Kansas City and other Missouri River points to the same destinations and as compared with rates charged to Eastern points. Rate on roofing slab from Leesport, Pa., for the shorter distance to Harlem River, N. Y., as compared with the rate for the longer distance from Leesport to Waterbury, Conn. Less than carload rates as compared with carload rates on freights from St. Louis and other points to points in Texas. Higher charges on grain and coal from East St. Louis and other points to Biloxi, Miss., than for the longer distances over the sameline to New Orleans. Rateson leaf or stick bark as compared with the rates on ground bark from points in Virginia to points in New Jersey. Rates on cotton, naval stores, bacon, and other commodities between stations on a road in Florida and Alabama and Savannah, Ga., and as compared with rates on the same articles between such Florida and Alabama points and Pensacola, Mobile, and New Orleans; also greater charges on sugar from New York to such points in Florida and Alabama than for longer distances over the same line to Mobile and New Orleans. Rates on wheat from Nicholasville, Ky., to points in Tennessee and Georgia as compared with rates to the same destinations from Cincinnati, and from St. Louis, Chicago, and Milwaukee, and with wheat rates to the Atlantic Seaboard. Freight rates from New Orleans to Dallas, Tex., as compared with such rates from New Orleans to Kansas City and other Missouri River points; also rates on cotton from Dallas to New Orleans. Freight rates from St. Louis and other points to Dallas higher than rates charged for the longer distance from the same points to Galveston or Houston, Tex. Lower rates on export than on like kind of domestic traffic carried to the same ports from the same points of shipment; also transportation of export traffic at rates not authorized under schedules or tariffs filed and published as required by law. Higher rating of machine-compressed scoured wool under the western classification than is given to manufactured woolens and unscoured wool. Terminal or switching charges on cattle in carloads to and from stock yards at Chicago added to the established transportation rates from southwestern and western points of shipment. Relation of rates on grain, flour, provisions, and other produce, and rules and regulations governing the transportation to New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Newport News, Norfolk, and Boston from western points of shipment. Greater charges on freight from St. Louis, Nashville, and Chattanooga for the shorter distance to Hampton, Fla., than |