AFFIDAVITS. XII. Affidavits to a petition, complaint, or answer may be taken before any officer of the United States, or of any State or Territory, authorized to administer oaths. INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION, DEAR SIR: At present there is no uniform method on the part of the railroads for filing with the Commission joint passenger rates which are compiled under agreement of committees or associations. In this connection the Commission ruled, on June 15th last, as follows: "In the case of schedules of passenger rates issued by a committee representing a group of roads, the Commission desires a written statement from each corporation to the effect that it is a member of the association which the committee represents, and that tariff schedules filed by the committee are to be treated as if filed by such corporation. In case there is a written agreement under which the association works, a copy thereof should also be filed. Upon receipt of the foregoing, as evidence of the authority of the committee, schedules of the tariffs and documents issued relating to changes in passenger rates, etc., will be received by the Commission and credited to each road in the association as if filed by such road, respectively. A letter of transmittal, stating contents, should accompany each inclosure." To further perfect the plan which it was hoped the foregoing ruling would establish, you are now requested to comply with the following: First. To advise this office of the names of the committees or associations of which your company is a member; and also of the names of the commissioners or compilers to whom authority and instructions have been given to file tariffs, etc., with the Interstate Commerce Commission for your company, and the names and character of the tariffs so covered. Second. To instruct the commissioner or compiler for such committee or association to file with this office one copy of the contract, agreement, or arrangement under which action is taken for the establishment of joint passenger rates. Third. To instruct the commissioner or compiler of such committees or associations to file with this office all schedules of passenger rates which may be issued by him for your company, separately or jointly, with other roads. Under a compliance with this arrangement, it will not be necessary for each company to file such tariffs as are filed by the commissioners or compilers. Credit for such filing will be given to each road from which advice has been received of the authority given representatives of committees or associations. For the Commission. Very truly yours, [Circular No. 6.] C. C. MCCAIN, Auditor. INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION, AUDITOR'S OFFICE, Washington, February 13, 1888. Roads located wholly in one State or Territory, which interchange freight or passenger traffic with connections to or from points outside of such State or Territory, on through tickets or bills of lading, should file tariffs covering such traffic with the Commission. If such through rates are made by the addition of local rates to the rates of connecting roads, such local tariffs should be filed with the Commission, together with a statement that through interstate rates are made by adding such local rates to the rates of the carrier (naming it) with which connection is made. If joint rates are made on any basis other than by the addition of the local rates to the through rates of connecting carriers, tariffs showing such rates should be filed with the Commission covering all interstate business transacted thereunder. For the Commission. C. C. MCCAIN, Auditor. INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION, 'Washington. At a meeting of the Interstate Commerce Commission, held at the office of the Commission in the city of Washington, on the 21st day of June, 1887. Present, all the Commissioners: The subject of the publication of joint tariffs being under consideration, the following preamble and order were unanimously adopted and directed to be sent to all railroad companies subject to the "act to regulate commerce:" Whereas section six of the "act to regulate commerce" authorizes the Commission to direct when joint tariffs shall be made public, and to prescribe the measure of publicity to be given to the same: It is ordered as follows: Joint tariffs of rates, fares, or charges, established by two or more common carriers for the transportation of passengers or freight passing over continuous lines or routes, copies of which are required by the sixth section of the "act to regulate commerce" to be filed with the Commission, shall be made public so far as the same relate to business between points which are connected by the line of any single common carrier required by the first paragraph of said section to make public schedules of its rates, fares, and charges. Such joint tariffs shall be so published by plainly printing the same in large type of at least the size of ordinary "pica," copies of which shall be kept for the use of the public in such places and in such form that they can be conveniently inspected, at every depot or station upon the line of the carriers uniting in such joint tariff where any business is transacted in competition with the business of a carrier whose schedules are required by law to be made public as aforesaid. A true copy. EDW. A. MOSELEY, Secretary. INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION, Washington. At a meeting of the Interstate Commerce Commission held in the city of Washington on the 8th day of March, 1888. Present, all the Commissioners. The subject of the publication of joint tariff's being under consideration, the following preamble and order were unanimously adopted, and directed to be sent to all common carriers subject to the act to regulate commerce: Whereas section 6 of the act to regulate commerce authorizes the Commission to direct when joint tariffs shall be made public, and to prescribe the measure of publicity to be given to the same: It is ordered as follows: Every tariff of rates and charges which a common carrier subject to the provisions of the act to regulate commerce, by itself or jointly with one or more other carriers, whether such carriers are or are not subject to such act, shall establish for the transportation of grain, flour, meal, meats, provisions, lard, tallow, canned goods, cotton, tobacco, live stock, or other articles of customary export, from any point within the United States to a sea-port thereof, or to any point in or on the boundary of an adjacent country, or to any foreign port or place, is required to be filed with the Commission and shall be made public. In all cases where a tariff is established for such merchandise billed or intended for export by sea, and ocean rates are not specified, either because of their fluctuation or for any other reason, so that only the charge for inland transportation is definitely fixed, the tariff as filed and made public shall show the rate charged by the inland carrier or carriers to the point of export, including all terminal charges or expenses, and shall also show in what manner the through rate to the point of ultimate destination is to be determined, whether by the addition of the ocean rate from time to time prevailing, or how otherwise. When the rate is a gross sum for the transportation of freight from a point within the United States to a port or place in a foreign country, the tariff as filed and made public shall in every case show what part of the whole is allowed to the carrier or carriers for inland transportation to the point of export by sea, including all terminal expenses or charges; and if such part is subject to be increased or diminished, contingently or otherwise, or if in any other case the charge for inland transportation is subject to any change or modification in case the property carried is exported, the fact, and the manner in which the increase, diminution, or change is to be determined, and the extent thereof, shall be stated. Every such tariff of rates and charges shall be published by plainly printing the same in large type of at least the size of ordinary pica, and copies thereof shall be kept for the use of the public in such places and in such form that they can be conveniently inspected, at every depot or station of any carrier making or issuing the same at which any traffic to which it relates is received or delivered. This order shall become operative on March 20, 1888. A true copy. EDWARD A. MOSELEY, Secretary. [Circular.] INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION, The bureau in charge of the auditor will hereafter be known as the bureau of rate and transportation, Auditor C. C. McCain remaining at the head thereof. In view of the importance of providing for an exhaustive compilation of statistics from the annual reports of carriers, and the great amount of detail work involved, a bureau of statistics has been established which is in charge of Prof. Henry C. Adams, statistician. All freight tariffs, passenger tariffs, classifications, rate sheets, circulars, and other printed or written matter relating to rates, together with all contracts, agreements, and traffic arrangements which are required to be filed with the Commission under section 6 of the act to regulate commerce, and correspondence relating thereto, will be addressed as heretofore to C. C. McCain, Auditor, Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington, D. C. Annual reports of carriers under section 20 of said act, and correspondence relating thereto, will be addressed to Henry C. Adams, Statistician, Interstate Commerce Commission, Washington, D. C. By order of the Commission. EDWARD A. MOSELEY, Secretary. INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION, Washington. At a general session of the Interstate Commerce Commission, held at its office in Washington on the 22d day of October, A. D. 1888: In the matter of the tariffs and classifications of the Atlanta and West Point Railroad Company and other companies. It appearing to the Commission upon an inspection of the tariffs and classifications published and filed by the carriers hereinafter named, which are associated for certain purposes under the name of the Southern Railway and Steamship Association, as well as by information and complaints received from time to time, that such carriers in many cases make a greater charge for the transportation of a like kind of property for a shorter than for a longer distance over the same line in the same direction upon interstate traffic; and that the disparity between the charges made at different points over the same line is in some instances apparently very great as related to distance; and that there is reason to believe that the requirements of section 6 of the act to regulate commerce are not complied with in the filing and publishing of many of said tariffs, in this, among other things, that the rates actually charged to shippers are not the rates given upon said schedules, but so-called combination rates are made, different from the rates specified in the tariffs as published and filed, upon both local and joint interstate traffic; and that the classifications in use are complicated and involved, containing many exceptions and variations, different classifications being at times used upon the road of the same carrier for the shipment of the same commodities to neighboring points, and at times two or more classifications being employed upon the same shipment in fixing a so-called combination rate upon the line of a single carrier, or of two or more connecting carriers; and that the tariffs as filed, and without explanation, are apparently not in form sufficient for the information of the public in the transaction of business; and that special tariffs are issued upon single shipments, and are limited in time; and that said tariffs and classifications in other respects do not appear to conform to the provisions and requirements of the act to regulate commerce; and that an investigation and inquiry should be had in respect to said matters: It is thereupon ordered that the following-named carriers, to wit: Atlanta and West Point R. R. Co., Central R. R. and Banking Co. of Georgia, Charleston and Savannah Ry. Co., Charlotte, Columbia andAugusta R.R. Co., Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Ry. Co., Columbia and Greenville R. R. Co., East, Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Georgia R. R. and Banking Co., Memphis and Charleston R. R. Co., Mobile and Girard R. R. Co., Mobile and Montgomery R. R. Co., Norfolk and Western R. R. Co., Savannah, Florida and Western Ry. Co., Seaboard and Roanoke R. R. Co., South and North Alabama Ry. Co., Wilmington and Weldon R. R. Co., Co., and such other carriers as may hereafter be named, operating in the same territory with those above enumerated, or connecting with them, appear before this Commission at Washington, D. C., on December 18, 1888, at 11 o'clock a. m., for the purpose of a general examination and investigation of their tariffs and classifications as on file in the office of the Commission, and as in use upon their lines, respectively; to the end that an opportunity may be then and there given to said common carriers to be heard concerning the same, and in respect to the method of constructing interstate rates therefrom as practiced upon said lines, respectively, or in connection with other lines; and that any changes may be made which shall be found necessary and proper in order to bring said tariffs and classifications, and the manner of transacting business thereunder, into more complete conformity with the provisions of the act to regulate commerce. A true copy. EDW. A. MOSELEY, Secretary. Statement of appropriations for the Interstate Commerce Commission from the organization of the Commission to June 30, 1888. Sec. 23. Act to regulate commerce, approved February 4, 1888. (The sun of one hundred thousand dollars is hereby appropriated for the use and purposes of this act for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, Anno Domini eighteen hundred and eighty-eight and the intervening time anterior thereto).. Miscellaneous objects-urgent deficiencies act approved March 30, 1888. (To enable the Interstate Commerce Commission to properly carry out the objects of the "act to regulate commerce," approved February fourth, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, during the remainder of the current fiscal year, the original appropriation being insufficient, twenty-five thousand dollars) Amount expended for all purposes to June 30, 1887, inclusive.. $15, 140.05 Unexpended balance June 30, 1888 $100,000.00 25, 000, 00 125,000.00 97,867.54 113, 007. 59 11, 992. 41 Statement of expenditures from the organization of the Commission, April 4, 1887, to the expiration of the fourth quarter of 1887. (June 30, 1887.) Salaries of Commissioners and secretary $10, 181.03 694. 15 2, 004. 18 Of Commissioners, stenographer, and clerk, from Washing- $693.90 328.20 12.10 17.00 One Commissioner from Washington to Boston, Mass.; rail Hotel bills and meals en route. way fares and accommodations while traveling, and 36.89 1,095.09 457.50 666.05 41.25 15, 140.05 EDW. A. MOSELEY, Secretary and Disbursing Agent. |