purchased at second-class fares, to ride in first-class cars is referred to the managers with the recommendation that second-class fares be revised with a view to their partial or total abolition locally.

18. It is recommended to the general managers that whatever regulations may be adopted for the conduct of interstate passenger business shall also be applied to passenger business within any one state or territory.

The Southern Passenger Associations.

The Southern Passenger Association adopted the following interpretation of the interstate commerce law at a meeting held in New York, March 25, 1887:

WHAT THE LAW FORBIDS.

1. It forbids special rates, rebates, drawbacks, or any other device whereby a rate can be reduced or increased to work discrimination against any person, or give any undue or unreasonable preference to any person, company, firm, corporation, or locality.

2. It forbids greater compensation for a shorter than for a longer haul over the same line in the same direction under substantially similar circumstances and conditions.

3. It forbids the pooling of passenger earnings.

4. It forbids charging a greater or less compensation than the rates as established and published.

5. It forbids the giving of reduced rates or free transportation to any person or class of persons whatsoever, except as provided in section 22 of the law.

WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES.

6. That all charges for the transportation of passengers and baggage shall be reasonable and just.

7. Like charges shall be made for like and contemporaneous service under substantially similar circumstances and conditions.

8. All reasonable, proper, and equal facilities shall be afforded by carriers for the interchange of traffic between their respective lines and connections.

9. Each common carrier subject to this law shall print, in large type of at least the size of ordinary pica, and keep for public inspection in every depot or station, in such places as may be conveniently inspected, schedules showing the rates of fares for transportation of passengers and property (including baggage), plainly stating the places upon the railroads between which passengers and property will be carried.

10. Ten days' notice of advance in rates shall be given, which notice shall plainly state changes proposed and the time they go into effect; such changes to be shown by printing new schedules, or be plainly indicated upon the schedules in force.

11. Reductions may be made without previous public notice, but when made, notice of the same shall be immediately publicly posted or plainly indicated upon the schedules in force.

12. Every common carrier subject to this law is required to file its

tariffs with the commission, and to promptly notify the commission of all changes made in the tariffs.

13. Copies of all contracts, agreements, or arrangements with other common carriers, and copies of joint tariffs, are required to be filed with the commission. Such joint tariffs shall be made public when directed by the commission.

14. Annual reports shall be rendered as the commission may require.

WHAT THE LAW PERMITS.

15. The law permits different classes of passenger fares, and rates may be as varied as the classes of accommodation.

16. An additional charge may be made for special or unusual service.

17. Variation in charges may be based upon the restricted availability of tickets.

18. Mileage, excursion, or commutation tickets may be issued, provided they be in accordance with the general non-discriminating spirit of the act.

19. Reduced rates may be given to ministers of religion and railway employees.

20. Free transportation may be given to officers and employees of railroads.

21. Excursion rates may be made, in the discretion of railroads, within reasonable limits, provided such rates shall give no undue or unreasonable preference to any particular person, company or locality. 22. The law recognizes just discrimination from the fact that it prohibits unjust discrimination.

ADDITIONAL CONCLUSIONS.

23. Free transportation prohibited by law should be recalled on or before April 4th, 1887.

24. The present local and through passenger fares in the territory of this association are just and reasonable.

25. The term 66

excursion tickets," as used in section 22, means round-trip tickets sold subject to certain conditions for a journey within a given time to a given point and return.

26. Any company which, with its connivance or consent, permits a "scalper to sell tickets at less than tariff will be liable the same as if the act was committed by its own agent.

27. A greater amount of baggage checked free for one person than another on the same class of ticket, would be an unjust discrimination. 28. It is not an unreasonable discrimination for fast express trains to stop at large stations only.

29. Railroads are not required to give the same representation in tickets and baggage checks to all connections alike, regardless of the requirements of the traffic.

30 Railroads maintaining through car lines with one connection are not required to maintain similar through car lines with all other connections between the same common points; the great number and variety of different connecting lines between such common points would render such obligation unnecessary, unreasonable and unjust.

31. In order to establish joint tariffs of through fares where two or more connecting railroads are concerned, to the end that all parties to such joint tariff shall be responsible for their proper observance in accordance with law, all parties desiring to participate in through business with members of this association, or with roads connecting therewith by which through fares are established, must indicate the basis upon which such through fares may be made by the issuing company, with the understanding that when such through authorization has been given to the issuing company it can not be withdrawn, changed or modified by any device, except upon like formal notice to the issuing company. In order to secure this formal authorization, a circular shall be issued by the company desiring to participate in joint through fares, giving the proper authority to its connections and inviting similar authority; and that such circulars and replies thereto be filed in the general offices of our respective companies. M. SLAUGHTER.

New England Railway Managers.

Commissioner.

A meeting of presidents and general managers of the principal New England railways was held in Boston, March 10, to consider the interstate commerce law. There were present 84 officers, representing the following-named thirty-four railroads :

Boston & Albany, Boston & Lowell, Boston & Providence, Boston, Hoosac Tunnel & Western, Central Vermont, Cheshire, Concord, Connecticut & Passumpsic Rivers, Connecticut River, Fitchburg, Hartford & Connecticut Western, Housatonic, Knox & Lincoln, Maine Central, Milford & Woonsocket, Naugatuck, New Brunswick, Newburg Dutchess & Connecticut, New Haven & Derby, New Haven & Northampton, New York & New England, New York City & Northern, New York, New Haven & Hartford, New York, Providence & Boston, Old Colony, Pennsylvania, Portland & Ogdensburg, Providence & Worcester, Providence, Warren & Bristol, Quebec, Ottawa & New England, Air Line, Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg, South-Eastern, Troy & Boston, and Vermont Valley.

Hon. Charles F. Choate, president of the Old Colony, was elected! chairman and Mr. C. S. Mellen, general superintendent of the Boston & Lowell, was elected secretary. After the chair had stated the object of the meeting, vice-president Shinn of the New York & New England moved that a committee of six be appointed to consider the different subjects which are touched upon by the law, and Messrs. Shinn of the New England, Whitmore of the Fitchburg, Furber of the Boston & Maine, Mills of the Boston & Albany, Turner of the Boston & Lowell and Shepard of the New York, New Haven & Hartford, were appointed. The committee reported twelve interrogatories, which appear hereafter.

It was voted to refer the different topics to committees who should carefully consider the several propositions and report upon them at an adjourned meeting.

The first section was referred to a committee of presidents consisting of Messrs. George C. Lord of the Boston & Maine, A. B. Harris of the Passumpsic, W. A. Russell of the Cheshire, Edwin Morey of the Boston & Lowell and J. Gregory Smith of the Central Vermont.

The second section was referred to a committee of general passenger agents consisting of Messrs. A. C. Kendall of the New York & New England, George L. Connor of the Old Colony, O. H. Briggs of the New

York, Providence & Boston, J. R. Watson of the Fitchburg, and S. W. Cummings of the Central Vermont.

The third, fourth and sixth sections were referred to a committee of general freight agents, consisting of Messrs. Charles Rockwell of the New York, New Haven & Hartford, H. E. Howard of the Vermont Valley, W. J. C. Kenney of the Boston & Maine, H. B. Chapin of the Boston & Albany, and C. L. Hartwell of the Fitchburg.

The fifth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh sections were referred to the committee of presidents.

The twelfth section was referred to a committee consisting of Messrs. G. H. Williams of the New York & New England, S. G. Putnam of the Old Colony, W. F. Berry of the Boston & Maine, W. H. Morrill of the Boston & Providence, C N. Yeamens of the New Haven & Northampton, H. N. Turner of the Boston & Lowell, J. M. Williams of the New York, Providence & Boston, John Porteus of the Central Vermont, H. C. Folsom of the Passumpsic, W. S. Eaton of the Maine Central and Samuel Barrett of the Concord.

At the adjourned meeting, March 17, the committee of presidents, to which was referred several questions propounded at the previous meeting, presented the following report upon them :

REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF PRESIDENTS.

I. Free passes Does section 2, taken in connection with section 22, prohibit the issuance of free passes, except for the officers and employees of railroad companies ? Ans. In answer to this question the committee voted "that the usual courtesies heretofore extended to the families of the officers and employees of railroad companies are not prohibited and should be continued, but that, in the opinion of the committee, it would be in contravention of the spirit of sections 2 and 22 of the interstate commerce law to issue free passes, except as above, and they therefore recommend conformity to this interpretation of the law."

As questions 5, 7, 9, 10 and 11 were of such a nature that the committee wished for legal advice before making a report, they voted to submit them to Hon. Richard Olney, A. A. Strout and George A. Torrey, for their opinion, said gentlemen being respectively counsel for the Boston & Maine, Boston & Lowell, and Fitchburg railroads. After receiving their report, and after a conference with them, it was voted to adopt the language of their answers to the questions in making a report to the convention.

5. Are contracts which have been made with shippers for transportation of freight which have not expired prior to April 5, rendered void by the interstate commerce law?

Ans. - All provisions in contracts existing on the 5th day of April, which are contrary to the interstate commerce law, become void so far as they are executory.

7. Are export drawbacks prohibited by law?

Ans.-Export drawbacks are not prohibited, provided they do not in other respects infringe the provisions of the interstate commerce law. 8. Does the proportion of a through rate, which a railroad receives under a joint tariff, fix the local charge between the same points?

Ans. The proportion of a through rate, which a railroad receives under a joint tariff, has no relation to or connection with the compensation it is entitled to charge for transportation on its own line.

9. Can tickets to scholars be sold at less rates than to other children of the same age? Ans. The law does not authorize the sale of tickets to scholars at rates lower than those charged to other children of the same age.

IO. What constitutes an excursion ticket under the law?

Ans. An excursion ticket means a round trip ticket sold at a reduced rate to any person who, for a special purpose or at a particular season, desired to make a special journey within a given time to a given point and return.

II. Does the law apply to the express business as a matter for which the railroad companies are responsible to the public?

Ans. Express companies are common carriers and subject to the provisions of this act. A violation of its provisions by the express companies does not render the railroad company responsible, unless the latter has knowingly participated therein.

The answers to the above questions naturally divide themselves into two parts. First, What could or could not be done under the law? Second, What uniform principles in conducting their business it was best for all railroads at the present time to adopt? The discussion was confined to the provisions of the law itself. As a matter of policy the committee would recommend that railroad companies, in conducting their business, should not confine themselves to the distinction made in the law between state and interstate commerce, but whatever is found best or expedient to do in regard to interstate commerce, should also be applied to commerce confined entirely to one state, and, as far as possible, the practice, under the same conditions and circumstances, should be the same by all railroads.

It was voted that the recommendation of the committee in relation to question 1 be adopted, and that no passes be issued for interstate business except those authorized by the law as explained by the committee, and that all outstanding passes in violation of the act as interpreted by the committee, be withdrawn. After discussion it was also voted that the whole matter of complimentary state passes be left to the wise discretion of each railroad to decide for itself, but that, in the opinion of this convention, any passes given for the purpose of influencing commerce would be in contravention of the spirit of the interstate commerce law. It was also voted to adopt the committee's report in relation to questions 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11.

REPORT OF GENERAL PASSENGER AGENTS' COMMITTEE.

The committee of passenger agents, to whom was referred the second question, in regard to commissions and baggage, submitted the following report:

"Commissions-Your committee have carefully considered section 7 in the proceedings of the joint committee meeting held in New York,