During the age of the railroads there were many conflicts. Farmers were upset because the railroad companies were misusing government land grants which the railroads sold to other business owner rather than settlers. They also charged different rates for different customers. They often charged more for short hauls because there wasn't an alternative carrier for this, than they did for long hauls.The Grangers (a farmers organization) created some laws to fix these problems. They succeeded eventually in setting maximum freight and passanger rates and they made discrimination illegal as well. These laws were called granger laws.To get these laws passed they sponsored local and state political candidates, elected legislators, and successfully pressed for laws that protected their interests.This was short lived, but in 1886 the supreme court ruled that a state couldnt set rates on interstate commerce. This means they couldnt control traffic rates on railroads that were either coming from another state or going to another state.
Comments