Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 20.pdf/63

THE GREEN BAG tive points not subject to the long and short There was a Committee of the Privy Council haul clause under the provisions of the Act. for Canada, known as the "Railway Com The Board may disallow any tariff, or any mittee," to which complaints and applica portion of it, which the Board considers to tions on many matters could be made, be unjust or unreasonable, or contrary to the among which were complaints respecting provisions of the Act, and may require a tolls, discrimination, etc. A certain time company to substitute a tariff satisfactory was given, after the coming into force of the to the Board in lieu thereof, or may prescribe Act, for railway companies to present their standard tariffs for approval by the Board. other tolls in lieu of those disallowed. The classification of freight is subject to Those which have been approved are prac the approval of the Board, and it is to be tically similar to the tariffs that had pre made uniform throughout Canada, as far as viously been sanctioned by the Governor in may be, having due regard to all proper in Council. The tolls provided for by these terests. A company may, with the approval tariffs are generally used for local traffic for of the Board, or when so directed by the short distances, but most commodities are Board, place any goods specified by the moved at rates provided for by the special Board in a stated class, or remove them tariffs which the railway companies may from any one class to any higher or lower increase or decrease as they see fit, so long as class. Several changes have been made by they keep below the rates in the standard the Board from time to time in the existing tariffs and subject to the authority of the freight classification, and a new revised and Board to direct change. The Board is empowered to prescribe consolidated classification has now been pre pared embodying these and some other forms of bills of lading and the conditions on changes, and will shortly be put in force. which goods shall be carried. Representa There are the usual provisions against dis tives of railway companies have laid before the Board for consideration proposed con crimination between persons or localities. Railway companies are forbidden to charge ditions of carriage, and these have been laid any money for any services as common car before the leading commercial bodies in riers, except under the provisions of the Act. Canada for their consideration and such There are also wide provisions regarding objections to or observations upon them as the providing of reasonable and proper facili these bodies may desire to make. Recently the tolls of telephone and ex ties for traffic, and requiring the interchange of traffic between railways. Companies press companies have been made subject to whose railways connect may be required to the approval of the Board. These compa agree upon joint tariffs for a continuous nies have laid their proposed new tariffs be route over both; and if they cannot agree fore the Board, and inquiries are being made upon the amounts of their rates and the for the purpose of enabling the Board to de division thereof, the Board may determine termine upon the propriety of approving them as presented, or of requiring changes to the matters of difference. The provisions requiring railway tolls to be made in them. be approved and making them subject to re The Board was in existence for eleven vision by some authority are not new. months in 1904, and during that period 705 Such provisions have been found in all the formal applications were made to the Board. railway acts of Canada from 1851 down to In 1905, 1,197 formal applicationswere made, the present time. Before the Act of 1903 and in 1906, 2,269. In i904> there were 304 the sanction of the Governor General in orders issued by the Board; in 1905, 538, Council was necessary, and tolls were subject and in 1906, 1,544. to revision by the Governor in Council. Among the more important traffic orders