The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-30
RATE BOOST ABSURD
Eastern Official Says Roads Can't
Think Of a General Ad-
vance Now.
Import Rates Will Be oyerhauled,
However-Have Long. Needed
Revision.

= i rr5 ~ . -r# 4
New York, Sept. so.-Reports have been
extensively circulated of late that con-
certed movement Of the large railroad
systems is under way to bring about an
advance In freight rates Jan. l. The eastern
trunk lines according to the reports in
question, are planning an increase equal
to about 10 per cent. -5t r.
When the matter was called, by the
Journal of Com merce, to the attention Of
one of the best In formed trunk -lire Off
GERS at this port, he declared the report
absolutely absurd.
Years End Cleanup
"Of course, there will be the usual end
year cleaning up Of commodity rates,
rates on raw materials, ETC., for short dis
tanceS to manufacturers and Others" he
said, but it is ridiculous to talk about
any general 10 per cent advance. The
basis, first class, between New York and
Chicago, has been Is ever since 1882
There can certainly be no advance on that
figure, for trade would not stand it. The
only way, therefore, that an advance could
be made would be advance in the clas-
sifcation. A general advance in classi-
| 1cation always meets with great opposi-
ton, and will never be attempted unless
the railroads must have it. Three years
or so ago, when conditions warranted it,
when materials and labor had advanced
! to such figures as to make railroading at
the old figures a losing business, advances
were made by means of classification
which ranged between and z per cent
These advances were In every way justi-
fed. To-day there has certainly been nc
further advance in materials, which, Il
anything, are a shade lower. Labor is
not much higher, so that there is no ex-
cuse whatever for any general advance
to say nothing Of the alleged advance o.
10 per cent. There is a disposition tt
curtail expenditures, but not to advance
rates..
| Import Rates.
| However it has been learned that the
trunk line managers are considering the
adjustment Of import rates, and a joint
conference of New York Missouri rivel
! lines has been called to meet in New York
| Oct. 8. The trunk line import commit.
tee and representatives of the gulf lines
and western freight lines and trans Mis-.
souri, lines will be present All thru rates
from foreign ports to Missouri river points
and points in western territory will be
discussed. The purpose is to fix rates or
a stable basis, which will prevent. the
thru rate on imported goods from being
less than the same rate on the home
manufactured products. For years home
manufacturers have suffered greatly or
account of relatively lower import rates
Many imported articles, for example, could
be shipped from London to Missouri river
points cheaper than they could be shipped
from the seaboard to these points. This
has been recognized by all roads and by
steamship lines to be a great injustice
An agreement has been prepared between
the steamship lines and the railroads
whereby all import rates are to be based
on Baltimore, which will be the 100 per
cent point. BY this means it Is expected
that the meeting will result in perfecting
~, tI,4 iy,lo
Of the thru import rate on fixed basis
to all points.