Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-21
THE RATES TO Be
SURELY RAISED
Re- Classification Of Articles will
be Made, Spite Of Everything.
NOT LOOKING FOR REASONS
Railways rirnd Advance IN Cpcrai-
tns Expenses Jus,inrs Puttins Up
the Freight Rates.

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 elias.
slhcation.
Many complaints have been filed with
the commission alleging that dlscrlm-
mating changes In freight clnssifica-
tlon have been agreed upon to take eff
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.
rcsentatives OF large shipping interests
OF the same eection were also present
At the opening of the hearing MIR. G.
II. Gill OF New York, chairman OF the
"Ofiicial classification committee" said
the railroads were without knowledge OF
the persona 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 wen pay them.
Mr.. Gill's contention that the shippers
be FIRST Intercepted. was overruied and
he himself was put on the stand. He
said that all protests would be consid-
cred bv the classification committee.
but the committee was satisfied the pro.
posed advances were necessary on nc-
count OF Increased cost OF railway oper-
etlons. J.. lntlmatod that for the same
reason So further advances probably
would have been made upon many ar
ticles Mr.. GIL maintained that exist
Ing rates OF freight were unJustiflably
low.
In the course OF long examination by
W. a. Day. attorney for the coUmlttee.
Mr.. Gill gave no reasons for the pro-
posed advances upon sDeclal articles or
clnsses Of freight except the general
reasons which applied TO all freight.
He maintained that the proposed new
classlfcatlons generally speaking were
rcstorations OF freight rates which pre-.
vailed IN times past when commercial
and trade conditions were similar TO
what they now are. His replies TO n
| long series OF questions indicated that
his own balfpf and that OF his colleagues
On the elias dfcatinn committee was the
recent marked advance In the price Of
railway equipment and operatlon-ln
steel rails and all forms OF steel anc
Iron. etc.-rendercd IL necessary for the
railroads In a degree ptoportlunalely TO
advance freight rates. He said freight
rates had been on n gradually descend
Ing scale for twenty years. but he was
unable to ray whether the proposed new
rates would be higher or lower than the
rates which prevailed In 1899.
In statement to the commission, At
torney Day said comparison OF the
proposed rates on certain specific arti-
clcs showed that the new rates would
be higher than ever had existed since
the commission was created.
judge G. A. Prouty. member ~ the
commission. instituted a line OF In
/ quiry, the questions and answers In
dicatlnr that In 1851 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 10 know why the classification
committee deemed u 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.
lie indicated by his answers that the
| present prices Of articles and the prices
In 1851 had little n anything TO do with
the action OF the committee except
that. In 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 II WAC not the practice OF
the committee q accord such hearings
As chairman. he heard the protests
and communicated their substance Ia
the committee. Protests against the
proposed classification had not been
! considered by the committee, and would
not be until after the classification had
gone into effect
The committee then took n recess un-
! I'll o'clock