Early in the ’80’s the railroads themselves attempted to remedy these evils by forming the famous pooling associations, but these pooling associations were later prohibited by law. Next the individual states attempted to improve conditions by passing special railroad codes and by creating state railroad commissions. Finally, in 1887, the national government, by the Interstate Commerce Act attempted to better conditions, but improvement came but slowly. Since then, by numerous Court decisions, the most important of which was the decision in the Northern Securities Case, and by at least two amendments to the Interstate Commerce Act, the Elkins Act of 1903 and the Hepburn Act of 1907, the national government has attempted to improve the situation. Conditions to-day are much better than they have ever been in the past, but there is still room for much improvement. Municipal Public Service Corporations. In discussing local public service corporations, it is well for the teacher to develop in the beginning the fact that there are two possible ways of dealing with them: (1) municipal ownership, and (2) state regulation. Even in this country the first method has been tried to some extent; most of our largest cities now own their own water supply, and some of them are in possession of their own gas and electric light plants. Thus far, however, most American states and cities have been content to confine their activities in dealing with public service corporation to regulating their functions and privileges by special legislation and by establishing special commissions. Still, the history of the regulation of public service corporations in this country is as yet in its beginnings; the teacher can therefore go but little farther than to set his students thinking upon the question as to which is the better method of dealing with the problem. Industrial Corporations. Like the trunk lines and the transcontinental railroads, the great industrial corporations had their origin in the years following the period of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Among these corporations, the Standard Oil Company is, of course, the most famous; still, the teacher will do well to attempt to follow with his class the history of some other industrial corporation as well--if possible, some corporation whose operations have not stirred up so much opposition as the Standard Oil Company. In estimating the effect of these corporations upon the economic history of the country, one should attempt to bring out the benefits which they have bestowed upon the people as well as the evils which have resulted from their operations.