"sioner shall receive an annual salary of seven "thousand five hundred dollars, payable in the "same manner as the judges of the courts of the "United States. The Commission shall appoint & "secretary, who shall receive an annual salary of "three thousand five hundred dollars, payable in “like manner. The Commission shall have author"ity to employ and fix the compensation of such "other employees as it may find necessary to the "proper performance of its duties. Until other "wise provided by law, the Commission may hire¦ "suitable offices for its use, and shall have authority "to procure all necessary office supplies. Wit66 nesses summoned before the Commission shall be 'paid the same fees and mileage that are paid "witnesses in the courts of the United States. "of the expenses of the Commission, including all necessary expenses for transportation incurred by "the commissioners, or by their employees under "their orders, in making any investigation, or "upon official business in any other places than "in the city of Washington, shall be allowed and 66 'paid on the presentation of itemized vouchers "therefor approved by the chairman of the Com"mission."

66

All

"SEC. 19. That the principal office of the Com"mission shall be in the city of Washington, where "its general sessions shall be held; but whenever "the convenience of the public or the parties may "be promoted or delay or expense prevented there'by, the Commission may hold special sessions in any part of the United States. It may, by one or 66 more of the commissioners, prosecute any inquiry necessary to its duties, in any part of the United

66

States, into any matter or question of fact peraning to the business of any common carrier ubject to the provisions of this act."

§ 1074. Carriers to make annual reports to the mmission.-"SEC. 20. That the Commission is ereby authorized to require annual reports from all common carriers subject to the provisions of this ct, to fix the time and prescribe the manner in which such reports shall be made, and to require from such carriers specific answers to all questions upon which the Commission may need information; Such annual reports shall show in detail the amount of capital stock issued, the amounts paid therefor, and the manner of payment for the same; the dividends paid, the surplus fund, if any, and the number of stockholders; the funded and floating debts and the interest paid thereon; the cost and value of the carrier's property, franchises, and equipments; the number of employees and the salaries paid each class; the amounts expended for improvements each year, how expended, and the character of such improvements; the earnings and receipts from each branch of business and from all sources, the operating and other expenses; the balances of profit and loss; and a complete exhibit of the financial operations of the carrier each year, including an annual balance-sheet. Such reports shall also contain such information in relation to rates or regulations concerning fares or freights, or agreements, arrangements, or contracts with other 'common carriers, as the Commission may require; ' and the said Commission may, within its discretion, for the purpose of enabling it the better to carry out

"the purposes of this act, prescribe (if in the opinion "of the Commission it is practicable to prescribe such "uniformity and methods of keeping accounts) a "period of time within which all common carriers "subject to the provisions of this act shall have, as "near as may be, a uniform system of accounts, and "the manner in which such accounts shall be kept."

Whether under a State statute a railroad company can be required to make a report of or give information in regard to its business outside of the State, has been before the Supreme Court of the United States, but was not decided.' In deciding upon the form and requisites of these reports, so far as it was in the discretion of the Commission to do so, three points were suggested to be kept especially in view: First, to make them as concise as possible consistent with the information to be furnished; second, to bring them as nearly as possible into conformity with the best forms required in the reports called for by State laws or State commissions; third, to have the reports made as late in the year as possible, and still leave time for tabulating and condensing the information furnished in the annual report to be made by the Commission.

2

"SEC. 21 (As amended). That the Commission shall, on or before the first day of December in 66 each year, make a report, which shall be trans"mitted to Congress, and copies of which shall be "distributed as are the other reports transmitted to Congress. This report shall contain such inform"ation and data collected by the Commission as may be considered of value in the determination

66

f questions connected with the regulation of commerce, together with such recommendations as to dditional legislation relating thereto as the Commission may deem necessary, and the names and ompensation of the persons employed by said Commission."

Stone v. Farmers' L. & T. Co. 116 U. S. 307, 331, 332.

Annual Reports from Carriers, 1 Inter. Com. C. 301. The subject dised in Report of Commission: 2 Inter. Com. C. 490.

"SEC. 22.

1075. Reduced rates-Free passes.As amended). That nothing in this act shall preent the carriage, storage, or handling of property ree or at reduced rates for the United States, tate, or municipal governments, or for charitable urposes, or to or from fairs and expositions for exibition thereat, or the free carriage of destitute nd homeless persons transported by charitable soieties, and the necessary agents employed in such ransportation, or the issuance of mileage, excurion, or commutation passenger tickets; nothing in his act shall be construed to prohibit any common arrier from giving reduced rates to ministers of region, or to municipal governments for the transortation of indigent persons, or to inmates of the Jational Homes or State Homes for Disabled Volnteer Soldiers, and of Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphan Iomes, including those about to enter and those reurning home after discharge, under arrangements with the boards of managers of said homes; nothng in this act shall be construed to prevent railpads from giving free carriage to their own officers nd employees, or to prevent the principal officers f any railroad company or companies from ex

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"changing passes or tickets with other railroad com "panies for their officers or employees; and nothing "in this act contained shall in any way abridge of "alter the remedies now existing at common law o 'by statute, but the provisions of this act are in ad"dition to such remedies: Provided, that no pending "litigation shall in any way be affected by this act.

2

with.

When the government contracts for the delivery of. the supplies needed for the Indian service, and then advertises for bids for their transportation from the points of delivery to the points where they are to be made use of, this transportation at the cost of the government is "for the United States in the meaning of this section, and is not required to be made at the regular published rates. The transportation of fish and fish eggs by the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries falls within the exception contained in this section. At common law, harmless discrimination may be indulged in; the carrying of one person, who is unable to pay fare, free, is no injustice to other passengers who may be required to pay the reasonable and regular rates fixed by the company. would the carrying of supplies at nominal rates to communities scourged by disease, or rendered destitute by floods or other casualty, entitle other communities to have their supplies carried at the same rate. The Commission has declined to decide whether it is competent for the carriers subject to it to grant free transportation of persons to those who are proper subjects of charity, when no controversy was pending before it, which involved the question. The provision that nothing in this sec

Nor