Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-09-29
AN ADVANCE IN
FREIGHT RATES.
1t Will Not be Very Big but
There Will be a General ''Re-
adjustment Soon.
CONFERENCE CALLED FOR OCT. 8
Western Territory Will be Discussed
And Rates VIII be Fixed on a
Stable Basis.

New York, Sept 29.--Rcports have
been extensively circulated Of late that
concerted movement taking in all
the large railroad systems Of the coun-
try is under way to bring about an adj
vance in freight rates on Jan |. The
eastern trunk lines, according 20 the
reports In question are planning an in
crease equal to about 10 per cent
When the matter was called. by the
Journal Of Commerce, TO the attention
of one OF the best Informed trunk line
officers at this port he declared the
report absolutely absurd
"Of course, there viii be the usual
end-year cleaning up Of commodity
rates-rates on raw materials. etc, for
short distances to manufacturers and
Others" he said, but II Is ridiculous
to talk about any general 10 per cent
advance, The basis, hrst class, between
New York and Chicago, has been 70
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 an advance In the clas-
slilcation. A general advance I'm classl-
fieation always meets with great oppo-
sitIon. and VIII never be attempted un-
less the railroads must have H. There
is or so agreed-when conditions war
ranted it-when materials and lappr
had advanced to such figures, az to
make railroading at the old figures a
losing business, advances were made by
means of classification, which ranged
between and per cent. These adj
Vances We're In every way justified. To-
day there has certainly been no further
advance in materials, which, II any
thing, are n shade lower. Labor Is not
much higher so that there Is no excuse
whatever for any general advance To
say nothing OF the alleged advance of
10 per cent. There IL disposition to
curtail expenditures, but not to adj
vance rates"
However. II has been learned that
the trunk line managers are consider
ing the adjustment OF import rates and
a joint conference Of New York-M MS
souri, river lines has been called TO meet
in New York Oct. s. The trunk line Inn
port committee and the representatives
of The Gulf lines western freight asso-
citation lines and rransmissour lines,
will be present Although rates from
foreign ports to Missouri river points
and points In western territory will be
discussed, the purpose Is to fix these
rates on a stable basis which win pre-
vent thMl oush2ratso on Imported
goods being less than the same rate on
the home manufactured products. For
years home manufacturers have suf-
fered greatly on account Of relatively
lower import rates Many imported ar
ticles, for example, could be shipped
from London 20 Missouri river points
cheaper than the same article could be
shipped from the. seaboard 10 the same
points. This has been recognized by
all roads and by steamship lines to be
great injustice. An agreement has
been prepared between the steampshlp
lines and the railroads whereby all i'm
portant rates are TO be based on Bal
timore, which VIII be the 100 per cent
point. BY this means. II IL expected
that the meeting viii result in perfect
ing the plan by placing the inland pro-
portions Of the through import rate on
a fixed basis to all points.
n n