barrels. Complaint being made of this discrimination, the commission
held that it is properly the business of a carrier by railroad to supply
rolling stock for the freight he offers or proposes to carry, and that
"if the diversities and peculiarities of traffic are such that this is
not always practical, and the consignor is allowed to supply it for
himself, the carrier must not allow its own deficiencies in this
particular to be made the means of putting at unreasonable disadvantage
those who may use in the same traffic all the facilities which it
supplies."

A most important ruling of the commission is that relating to the pass
abuse. Complaint was made that the Boston and Maine Railroad Company
issued in the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts
free passes to certain classes of persons, among them "gentlemen long
eminent in the public service, higher officials of the States, prominent
officials of the United States, members of the legislative railroad
committees of the above named States, and persons whose good will was
claimed to be important to the defendant." The commission decided that
such a discrimination is unwarranted, that a carrier is bound to charge
equally to all persons, regardless of their relative individual standing
in the community, and that the words "under substantially similar
circumstances and conditions" relate to the nature and character of the
service rendered by the carrier, and not to the official, social or
business position of the passenger.

It is a notorious fact that the practice of issuing free passes to
public officials and other influential persons has been more or less
indulged in by nearly every railroad in the country up to the present
time. It is to be hoped that this ruling of the commission will be
enforced in such a manner as to put an end to this intolerable abuse.

The Interstate Commerce Commission has been equally efficient in its
administrative capacity. From the very first it called attention to the
great advantage of having one classification of freight throughout the
country, and it has since labored diligently to unify the various
classifications in use. As the commission in this undertaking is only
armed with the armor of moral suasion, it is a difficult task; but there
is little doubt that the accomplishment of this great reform is only a
question of a few years. Iniquities in classifications and rates are
constantly pointed out by the commi