In June 1910 Congress passed the Mann-Elkins Act. The act increased the authority of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). Passed with the support of President William Howard Taft, the act placed telephone and telegraph services under the ICC’s authority. The act would later be extended to include cable and wireless services. In addition, the act created a federal Court of Commerce to hear disputes over rates. The Mann-Elkins Act was much stronger than the earlier Hepburn Act, which placed railroads under the authority of the ICC. The Court of Commerce was abolished in 1912.
