Elkins Act
| Long title | An Act To further regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the States. |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | Elkins Act |
| Enacted by | the 57th United States Congress |
| Effective | February 19, 1903 |
| Citations | |
| Public law | Pub. L. 57–103 |
| Statutes at Large | 32 Stat. 847 |
| Codification | |
| Acts amended | Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 |
| Legislative history | |
| |
The Elkins Act is a 1903 United States federal law that amended the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The Act authorized the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to impose heavy fines on railroads that offered rebates, and upon the shippers that accepted these rebates. The railroad companies were not permitted to offer rebates. Railroad corporations, their officers, and their employees, were all made liable for discriminatory practices.
Prior to the Elkins Act, the livestock and petroleum industries paid standard rail shipping rates, but then would demand that the railroad company give them rebates. The railroad companies resented being extorted by the commercial and industrial trusts and therefore welcomed passage of the Elkins Act. The law was sponsored by President Theodore Roosevelt as a part of his "Square Deal" domestic program, and greatly boosted his popularity.