What is the interstate commerce act??
In 1887, Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act which created the Interstate Commerce Commission, the first true federal regulatory agency. It was designed to address the issues of railroad abuse and discrimination and required the following: * Shipping rates had to be “reasonable and just” * Rates had to be published * Secret rebates were outlawed * Price discrimination against small markets was made illegal. Although the law granted the Commission power to investigate abuses and summon witnesses, it lacked the resources to accomplish its lofty goals. Later presidents would assure that reform would not go too far, by appointing pro-railroad commissioners.
