Interstate Commerce Act

This is an economic law in the United States, and was the first private business regulation law enacted in 1887 with the main aim of controlling railroad fares. After the Civil War (1861-65), railroads were built in the United States, including the transcontinental railroad. Soon, competition between railroad companies led to various unfair practices, such as fare discrimination favoring certain products or businesses, kickback payments, higher fares for short distances than long distances, and high fares through the formation of cartels. The main victims of these practices were farmers in the Midwest, and various states enacted regulatory laws in the 1870s, but these were found unconstitutional in 1886. The following year, this law was passed as a federal law, and the Interstate Commerce Commission was established as the enforcement body. The commission had the authority to prohibit unfair practices and maintain fair fares, but was weakened in court cases in the 1890s. This law became the catalyst for antitrust law, and was later strengthened by various legislation during the Progressive Era, and fare regulation became full-scale. Furthermore, this law has come to be applied to transportation industries other than aviation, such as shipping and automobiles.

[Hideyo Naganuma]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

アメリカ合衆国の経済法で、鉄道運賃統制を主眼として、1887年に制定された初の私企業規制法。南北戦争（1861～65）後アメリカでは、大陸横断鉄道をはじめ盛んに鉄道がつくられた。まもなく鉄道企業間の競争のため、特定商品または業者を優遇した料金差別、リベート支払い、あるいは長距離より短距離料金の割高、他方ではカルテル結成による高運賃制など、さまざまな不当行為が展開された。そのおもな犠牲者たる中西部農民の運動によって、1870年代に諸州が規制法を設けたが、これは86年に違憲とされた。そこで翌年、連邦法として本法が成立し、施行機関として州際通商委員会が置かれた。同委は不当行為禁止、適正運賃維持の権限をもったが、90年代の裁判で骨抜きとなった。本法は反トラスト法の契機となり、のち革新主義時代の諸立法で強化され、運賃規制が本格化された。さらに本法は、船舶、自動車など航空以外の運輸業に適用されるに至っている。

［長沼秀世］

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