but no such transportation is required by that act. Much of the free transportation so authorized may be classed as for charitable or like humane purposes. Among other things, section 22 (1) provides that"nothing in this part shall be construed to prohibit any common carrier from carrying any totally blind person accompanied by a guide at the usual and ordinary fare charged to one person, under such reasonable regulations as may have been established by the carrier"; It may be that a seeing-eye dog could be regarded as a "guide" within the meaning of this provision, and apparently a number of railroads have so construed it. To remove any doubt, the words "or seeing-eye dog" could be inserted after the word "guide." This provision applies to steam railroads, motor bus companies, electric railways (other than urban street railways), and water carriers controlled by railroads. Air carriers and urban street railways are not now prohibited by any Federal law from giving such interstate free transportation as they may desire, and the same is true of water carriers not subject to the jurisdiction of either this Commission or the United States Maritime Commission. We are uncertain as to the extent water carriers subject to the jurisdiction of the latter Commission may be prohibited from giving free transportation. Respectfully submitted. JOSEPH B. EASTMAN, Chairman, Legislative Committee. Hon. CLARENCE F. LEA, INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The chairman of the Commission has referred to our legislative committee your communication of April 2, 1937, requesting comment on H. R. 6049, introduced by Congressman Smith of Washington, to amend the Interstate Commerce Act. This bill has had the careful consideration of the legislative committee, and I am authorized to submit the following comments in its behalf. Under date of February 26, 1937, I submitted to you, in behalf of the legislative committee, a report on H. R. 222, introduced by Congressman Smith, to render traveling by sightless persons safer and more convenient by entitling them to be accompanied by "seeing-eye" dogs on interstate transportation facilities without additional cost. While we were unable to approve this bill, we suggested that the purpose in mind might be accomplished by an amendment of section 22 (1) of part I of the Interstate Commerce Act. H. R. 6049 follows this suggestion and would amend section 22 (1) in substantially the way that we suggested. Therefore, this bill has our approval. In line 3, it might be well to insert after "(1)" the words "of Part I". Respectfully submitted. JOSEPH B. EASTMAN, Chairman, Legislative Committee. This bill has for its purpose when enacted into law the permission, under the regulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission, for blind people to take with them on the trains those dogs that are trained to guide blind people. The railway carriers and the Pullman Co. have no objections to the passage of this bill, as the regulations are left with the Interstate Commerce Commission. At the present time, without the enactment of this bill into law, a man who is blind and who owns one of the "seeing-eye" dogs is not permitted, in some instances, to take his dog with him in the passenger or Pullman coaches. This bill is, therefore, nothing more or less than for a permission under regulations for a "seeing-eye" dog to accompany its master. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW In compliance with paragraph 2a of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, section 22 (1) of the Interstate Commerce Act, as amended, is set forth below in roman type, and the matter proposed to be inserted by the bill in such section 22 (1) is printed in italics. SEC. 22. (1) That nothing in this part shall prevent the carriage, storage, or handling of property free or at reduced rates, for the United States, State, or municipal governments, or for charitable purposes, or to or from fairs and expositions for exhibition thereat, or the free carriage of destitute and homeless persons transported by charitable societies, and the necessary agents employed in such transportation, or the issuance of mileage, excursion, or commutation passenger tickets; nothing in this part shall be construed to prohibit any common carrier from giving reduced rates to ministers of religion, or to municipal governments for the transportation of indigent persons, or to inmates of the National Homes or State Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, and of Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphan Homes, including those about to enter and those returning home after discharge, under arrangements with the boards of managers of said homes; nothing in this part shall be construed to prevent railroads from giving free carriage to their own officers and employees, or to prevent the principal officers of any railroad company or companies from exchanging passes or tickets with other railroad companies for their officers and employees; and nothing in this part contained shall in any way abridge or alter the remedies now existing at common law or by statute, but the provisions of this part are in addition to such remedies; nothing in this part shall be construed to prohibit any common carrier from carrying any totally blind person accompanied by a guide or seeing-eye dog or other guide dog specially trained and educated for that purpose at the usual and ordinary fare charged to one person, under such reasonable regulations as may have been established by the carrier: Provided, That no pending litigation shall in any way be affected by this part: Provided further, That nothing in this part shall prevent the issuance of joint interchangeable five-thousand-mile tickets, with special privileges as to the amount of free baggage that may be carried under mileage tickets of one thousand or more miles. But before any common carrier, subject to the provisions of this part, shall issue any such joint interchangeable mileage tickets with special privileges, as aforesaid, it shall file with the Interstate Commerce Commission copies of the joint tariffs of rates, fares, or charges on which such joint interchangeable mileage tickets are to be based, together with specifications of the amount of free baggage permitted to be carried under such tickets, in the same manner as common carriers are required to do with regard to other joint rates by section six of this part; and all the provisions of said section six relating to joint rates, fares, and charges shall be observed by said common carriers and enforced by the Interstate Commerce Commission as fully with regard to such joint interchangeable mileage tickets as with regard to other joint rates, fares, and charges referred to in said section six. It shall be unlawful for any common carrier that has issued or authorized to be issued any such joint interchangeable mileage tickets to demand, collect, or receive from any person or persons a greater or less compensation for transportation of persons or baggage under such joint interchangeable mileage tickets than that required by the rate, fare, or charge specified in the copies of the joint tariff of rates, fares, or charges filed with the Commission in force at the time. The provisions of section ten of this part shall apply to any violation of the requirements of this proviso. Nothing in this part shall prevent any carrier or carriers subject to this part from giving reduced rates for the transportation of property to or from any section of the country with the object of providing relief in case of earthquake, flood, fire, famine, drought, epidemic, pestilence, or other calamitous visitation or disaster, if such reduced rates have first been authorized by order of the Commission (with or without a hearing); but in any such order the Commission shall define such section and shall specify the period during which such reduced rates are to remain in effect. Nothing in this part shall prevent any carrier or carriers subject to this part from giving reduced rates for the transportation of commodities to be specified by the Commission as hereinafter provided, to or from any section of the country, with the object of improving Nation-wide housing standards and providing employment and stimulating industry, if such reduced rates have first been authorized by order of the Commission (with or without a hearing); but in such order the Commission shall specify the commodities as to which this provision shall be declared effective and shall specify the period during which such reduced rates are to remain in effect. О AGE OF CONSENT FOR MARRIAGE IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA MAY 19, 1937.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed Mrs. NORTON, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, sub mitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 5462] The Committee on the District of Columbia, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 5462) to increase the age of consent for marriage in the District of Columbia to 18 years in the case of males and 16 years of age in the case of females, having considered the same, report favorably thereon and recommend that the bill do pass with the following amendments: On page 1, between the lines 9 and 10, insert the new section to be numbered "Sec. 2" and to read as follows: SEC. 2. Section 1291 of an Act entitled, "An Act to establish a code of law for the District of Columbia", approved March 3, 1901, as amended, is hereby amended by adding a new sentence to read as follows: "A license to marry shall not be issued until 3 days have elapsed from date of application for issuance of said license." On page 1, line 10, after the word "Sec." delete the numeral "2" and insert the numeral "3". This bill provides for the changing of the age of consent for marriage in the District of Columbia to 18 years in the case of males and 16 years in the case of females. The existing law in the District of Columbia establishes the age of consent for marriage as 16 years for males and 14 years for females. It is the opinion of the committee that the existing law should not only be changed with regard to the age of consent for marriage but that the law should provide for the expiration of a 3-day period between the time of making application for a license to marry and the issuance of said license. The reason for this is, of course, to prevent as far as possible so-called "gin marriages" and to encourage the serious consideration this contract deserves. There is attached hereto and made part of this report a letter from the President of the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia approving this proposed legislation: Hon. MARY T. NORTON, GOVERNMENT of the District of ColumbIA, Chairman, House District Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MRS. NORTON: There is attached hereto a copy of H. R. 5462, Seventy-fifth Congress, first session, being a bill to increase the age of consent for marriage in the District of Columbia to 18 years of age in the case of males and 16 years of age in the case of females. Existing law establishes the age of consent for marriage as 16 for males and 14 for females. The Health Officer of the District of Columbia reports that the maternal mortality rate for the United States is 63.1 of each 10,000 babies born of mothers under the age of 20, "quite the highest for any of the various groups of females of childbearing age." He further states that it would appear that the age limit stipulated in the bill is a reasonable one. The Commissioners desire to approve the bill and urge its enactment into law. You are advised that the bill has been submitted to the Bureau of the Budget and the Director advises that there is no objection on the part of that office to the position taken by the Commissioners in connection with this matter. Yours respectfully, M. C. HAZEN, President, Board of Commissioners, District of Columbia. In accordance with paragraph 2a of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, changes in existing law are shown as follows: Paragraph 4, section 1285, of the act entitled "An act to establish a code of law for the District of Columbia", approved March 3, 1901, provides that marriages shall be illegal— * ** when either of the parties is under the age of consent, which is hereby declared to be sixteen years of age for males and fourteen for females, and is amended to read as follows: * when either of the parties is under the age of consent, which is hereby declared to be eighteen years of age for males and sixteen years of age for females. The above act is further amended by adding the provisions of section 2 of this bill. О |