The interpretation which has been placed upon the antitrus



PROPOSED AMENDMENT OF INTERSTATE-COMMERCE LAW. Ill

that they can not make an agreement among themselves in respect to
traffic of any kind, whether reasonable or unreasonable. And I merely
submit for your consideration in that connection that if any legislation
is to take place in any form — I hope it will not be in this particular
form, if it does— that it should include something that will insure that
sort of stabilit}^ of rates upon the one hand which is required by the
law and upon the other that reasonable protection of the carriers in
making charges that are at least reasonably high, in order to remu-
nerate them for the service which they perform.
If you will look through th^ Interstate Commerce Commission's-
report, you will see three or four or five utterances to the effect that
the rates are in many cases in this country entirely too low. , Surprise
is expressed in one case that the service can be performed at some of
the rates that pertain upon the railroads.
If there is to be legislation, I merely throw out that suggestion that,
the cai'riers be relieved of that entirely anomalous prohibition which
is put upon them of making reasonable agreement among themselves.
They ought not to be entitled to make unreasonable ones. They ought
not to be entitled to make any, possibly, that are not subject to pub-
lic scrutiny.
Mr. Richardson. Is not that "pooling," what you mean?

Mr. Spencer. Oh, no. You can extend it until it is pooling, but
it is not necessarily pooling.
