Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-21
Re- Classification Of Articles viii
be Made, Spite Of Everything
NOT LOOKING FOR REASONS
Railways Plead Advance In operat-
ing Expenses Jusiides Puttins Up
the Freight Hates

a hearing was begun at Washington
today by the Interstate commerce COM
mission In the matter Of changes in
freight classification and advances In
freight rates by carriers using the clas'
sihcatiOn.
Many complaints have been filed with
the commission alleging that dlscrim-
mating changes In freight classiiica-
ton have been agreed upon to take ef-
feet on January /, 1900. To determine
this question the hearing Of today was
held. Many Of the most prominent rail-
way officials Of the eastern part Of the
country attended the hearing, and rep.
resentatives Of large shipping interests
OF the same eection were also present.
At the opening Of the hearing Mr.. {.
+. Gill OF New York, chairman OF the
"Official classification committee" said
the railroads were without knowledge OF
the persons who had requested the hear
ing, and asked that they be called upon
TO state wherein the proposed changes
were unjust. Mr.. Gil maintained that
the proposed advances in freight rates
were due TO the increased cost Of rail-
road plants and maintenance, and the
advances have been applied to classes OF
freights that could well pay them.
Mr.. ellis contention that the shippers
be first Intercepted. was overruled and
he himself was put on the stand. He
said that all protests would be consld-
cred by the classification committee,
but the committee was satisfied the pro.
posed advances were necessary on ac-
count OF increased cost OF railway oper-
atlons J.. intlmated that for The same
reason 81 further advances probably
would have been made upon many ar
iicles Mr.. GIL maintained that exist
ing rates Of freight were unjustifably
low.
In the course Of long examination by
W. A. Day, attorney for the committee,
Mr.. Gill gave no reasons for the pro-
posed advances upon special articles or
classes Of freight except the general
reasons which applied 10 ell freight.
He maintained that the proposed new
classificatlons generally speaking were
reservations Of freight rates which pre-
vailed IN times past when commercial
and trade conditions were similar to
what they now are. His replies TO a
long series Of questions Indicated that
his own bsitpt and that OF his colleagues
ON the aesldcatinn committee was the
recent marked advance IN the price Of
railway equipment and operation-in
steel rails and all forms Of steel anG
iron, etc.-rendered It necessary for the
railroads In a degree proportlOnately TO
advance freight rates. He said freight
rates had been on a gradually descend
ing scale for twenty years, but he was
unable TO say whether the proposed new
rates would be higher or lower than the
rates which prevailed In 1892.
In a statement to the commission, At
torney Day said a comparison Of the
proposed rates on certain specific arti-
cles showed that the new rates would
be higher than ever had existed since
the commission was created.
Judge c. a. Prouty member Of the
commission, instituted a line Of in
quiry, the questions and answers in
dlcating that in 1857 the railroads paid
more for steel rails and other articles
Of equipment than they had TO pay
now. In view OF these facts, he de-
sired to know why the classification
committee deemed II necessary TO In
crease the rates. Mr.. Gill replied as
he had previously done. that in the
rates on articles which had advanced
they could well stand them, and the
railroads needed the additional revenue
which the advances would give them.
He indicated by his answers that the
present prices Of articles and the prices
in 1857 had little II anything to do with
the action OF the committee except
that, In a general way. the committee
felt the articles on which Increases had
been made could afford to pay them.
While protests against the proposed
rates had been received from shippers,
the shippers had not been afforded an
opportunity to be heard by the COM
mittee, as Il WAS not the practice OF
the committee 70 accord such hearings.
As chairman, he heard the protests
and communicated their substance TO
the committee. Protests against the
proposed classification had not been
by the committee. and would
not be until after the classification had
gone into effect
The committee then took recess un-
III 2 O'clock