Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-08-10
NOW RATES GO UP
Western Lines Claim Advance
in Freight Charges is
Necessary.
NEW SCHEDULE IN EFFECT SEPT. l
Increased Expense OF Operation
Claimed to be the Cause Of
the Movement.

| Effects attributed to the recent adj
vance in wages given the employees
of the railroads west of Chicago
continue to manifest themselves.
First, orders were issued to reduce
expenses on the ground that economy
was forced under existing circum-
stances, and now comes an advance
in freight rates. The Chicago Trib-
une says the Missouri roads
will make a sharp advance in freight
rates Sept. l. The advances include
almost every kind of freight carried
and run from l cent to II cents a
hundred pounds.
One of the most radical rulings
made by the roads is the abolishing
of the commodity rates" on staple
groceries, such as sugar coffee, beans,
etc, and placing these articles under
regular class rates. The advances
caused by this change range from
One-haH cent Il hundred pounds, and
will probably cause an increase in
the price of groceries next fall and
winter.
StOckRates Boosted.
Live stock rates have experienced
to + cents, effective Sept /, and the
shippers are making vigorous pro-
tests over the action of the roads.
Kansas live stock men have appealed
to the railroad commission of the
state and the railroads have been
summoned To answer. but up to the
present time only the Grand Island
railroad has seen fit to take any cog
nizance of the order. In its reply the
Grand Island takes the position that
the state railroad commission has no
jurisdiction i'm the matter, as il is in
terstate business.
The live stock rates were formerly
charged by the carload, the cost de
pending on the size of the car, but
the roads felt they could add to their
revenues by changing their method
and established a rate by weight
When the change was made the rail
roads claimed there would be no adj
vance. The shippers discovered, how
ever, that they were paving a sub
stantial increase over the old rates
and now a still further advance is to
be made
Local railway men say that there
has no notice been received here of
an advance i'm rates. They are of the
opinion that the burden of the adj
vance will bear most heavily upon
the shippers west of the Missouri and
that the increase affecting this local
ity will be small if any at all is made.
Deeds Are Filed.
The deeds which affect the CONSOLE
dation Of the Rock Island & Peoria road
and the Mercer county branch with
the Rock Island road have been filed
in the Office of the county recorder.
The one transfers the ownership of
the branch to the Peoria road for the
sum of 81 and "other valuable, good
and sufficient considerations" The
branch was leased to the Peoria i'm
1885 for a period of 500 years and the
execution of the deed was mere
form to protect the title. The other,
which is dated June I, 1902, conveys
both lines to the Rock Island road.
Deeds were filed at Peoria Saturday
transferring the Peoria Terminal 9TH
erwise known as the Belt line to the
Rock Island & Peoria and transfer
ring the latter to the Rock Island, the
deed being the same as was filed here.
The Belt line is the one that was
built to give the Rock Island access
to Peoria, and was formerly operat-
ed under the Rock Island d Peoria on
999-year lease, the same as the
Mercer county branch at this end was
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