The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-02-26
Commission Considy K yer'5illnIl,gs II 9 /
tie Classifl Cation I
Freight sTraffl J, /.
HEAR 6 BRO. !; {. ~ | CHIT !: 1:
4. lMPOR J's \ FLA. \ CHS d


SThe State Corporate co nrnission hseS
31i1sr closed ~ ono Il or the mos NJ I'M ort9ns
infld far sreach &, hearing W hich has yet
arisen OIL the ssubje 1T of IRA lroadts N
igtnlV This on the an az 9 pr
iiul tlon he commits of VI I,
lwilh,n sthe 5turisdict Of tho comm nlssi iop. M
It3s;w tsbo 8 recalled that the COM mission, 3
mas had under cons bderati on he Question
of freight rntes since tlleE earl yS fall ON
end eavor to- cal wit this I'm
tantf and Intricate matt was dlscoy,yS ySlss
cred la occupied ai ,posl-s
Stion With respect 4 o. ~ y con
3bordsrS Sor. teWay as esseds pys
tho ratenlaking authorities he
railroads sS
found that Vlrginla was practl call the
only State IN the nlon y assS
opera ed two separate Ind di net ola
cable 8to state
confronted any Sof Stho States hic b had
jund ertaken, through the ms strument ntalityS 1.l
sof railroad commi issons to adj st Or re-
Frlate freight rat tes, and one htch seemed
TO present diff cult les so insurno table
5as to make 1t abso olute eces! sary$ OFF,
the Virginia Commiss on q one one 81
tho prevail Ing cassit scard E
BOTH and a dopt an ndepe ent CLASH
ton Al III was% on 1T his quest lion y hat the
hearing was called, NJ and rom lleSs e cts
SthatEthis was bsolutel VI a. ewE sti0n. .5ss
t8it1yolyed the snons slderati lon Of the wh holeg
subject of classit tication, and tinoi identally
itlo# question Gof rat hem selIy me-
:hearin
aterestlng ana instr, no q of
possibly far-rea shin Is imp ortance both
the 8people he Ssseyeral
railroad lin es.S NJ
5;sass Vould he SaS
while Ftfie II toriley sa for$ he raj ilroads
fIIsde stronuoi Us Sob5 5cct the sn
Sof q form classif flca ton
mi ssio on, It seemed vert hel less5 ma MI
even from estimony he - c
managers and | general freig q g cents ~
sthenselV Ives, tha uni form ass e
hased uni form scale s5of
3indlspens able to Hunl forml Of
results 1T the raj roads and of frel htSS
3charges to the 81 From he
ton 8 propo und cd ny me hers ct
mission eemed mos prdbabl ble thnt Z the
9comn issl Ion had lnFmlnd
sideratio of5 rates general The az optioerl8
5of % uniform clas fca tion, SEQ On las
uniform scale Of rate Des
appl licable5 to al tlies lines ssin the Sta
except such as are by onson OF PHI slcal lSs
ccndi tiona and #unus ual cost OF opera tom
rot fairlySt to bbe Sinc ded Il III gen-S
3eral gproysion. Is s'be ley ed by ONE sof
Sthea representa- Ives ofs u the38 commercial
bodies insthis.clty that such 81
on the part of5 he commits sion Would pe
tomine1ltly5 wise, and he me y ecessar
step toward the final solution Of his
ostEintricate and difficult ques tton.
From I he mass Sof stte tllnony s'brough NJ S
out .t was more plainly t than ever to NoeES
seen now difficult i and compile ted aS SUBJ
ject Is engaging the at tent lon OF the CONF
mission. This estlmony w ould probably lyS5s8
make d volume Of matter, al of hlcll3s;;
Of freight rn tes. Could II the people ND Z
especially the shippers Of the State read ss
this mass Of testimony hey would g aps7s
preclate moro fully than ever The d fl--sSS
cult and extreme delcacy II the q ttons
Involved, d and Of the far-reaching inlporrI;S
itances Of u the nc lion ofs the mmlssio 2,
not simply as to the nestl lon Of a red duc-$s
ton Of rates, but aas to ID he mali tenanco S
trade rela lions wi hin no osSS sSS
State, upon which the pros peri ty Of so Ny
many communities mus necessarily de-
pend. # ~ rs
Will be Fair to All
The hearing seemed to develop the fact s3
that tho commiss sion was seeking to- Co.
quaint itself more full y Il WI tn ma tiers 3$8
affecting these trade rela tions lbef ore pre,s
scribing arbitrary freight III ra tes. II SS
seemed equally manifest that g the A conf $#
mission Will soon prescribe rates Whick 4 ;s2
they believe to be- just as be tween al the ss
parties Interested r he opini IN was freel }E
expressed * by Il some PERSONS who were ss
present at the hearing that the atoss sS FL
prescribed by the commlssio {w uld show sg sSS
reductions. espe ecial Y III az 3
cles Of general Ellse and necessity. .s It8maytS8
be, fairly assumed, "a however. that lluS S44
commission, Impressed, as It should II be, s3Es
by u full appreciation OF the lnagnitud 9 III, #
and delicate characteriso Of the powers
and functions conflded to- II, Y under he 3f5
Constitution and laws of the stat +, VIII 8 8Ss
exercise then, In q spirit Of wisd ON, airs
ness and due moierat ton, "a vi 3SSf a8