New-York tribune., 1906-10-30
RATE LAW WORKS WE'LL
SATING TO THE PUBLIC.
Railroad Men also Benefited, Com
missioner Lane Says.
LFrom The Trlbuns Bureau. ]

Washington. Oct. 29-Experience with the
Railroad Rate law, even in the short time 1t has
been in effect. clearly demonstrates the wisdom
of President Roosevelt in demanding its enact
ment, and must confound those opponents OF the
measure who loudly proclaimed that it would be
found impracticable and that the President was
reckoning without his host. Already the rate
law is saving thousands of dollars to the trav-
elling and producing public.
For the sixty days that the Railroad Rate law
has been in operation the number of rate reduc-
tions in both passenger and freight schedules is
unprecedented in the history of railroading"
said Franklin K. Lane, member Of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission. to-day. Mr. Lane.
who is new member on the commission has
been giving special attention to the subject of
rate reductions and the effect of the new law on
railroads, in connection with his other work. He
declared to-day that his study of the subject has
convinced him that the rate law is a tremendous
success.
There has been nothing like it in the history
Of the country" said Mr. Lane NO such gen.
eral reduction in rates on all kinds of railroad
traffic could have been dreamed of under the old
regulations. and, in fact, previous reductions
We're generally confined to special localities and
were the result of panicky conditions or of big
fight between competing lines. The significant
feature of the reductions in rates now being
made is that they are gradual and II is evident
that the changes are the result Of the healthfui
and consistent influence which the new rate law
exerts over the entire railroad business
1T is almost impossible to give the innur,era BILE
SPECIFIC instances where the railroads have
changed their rates to meet the new conditions
Dut an analysis OF the schedules filed from day
to day shows conclusively general reduction
N the b1,o;
orally lowering the passenger rates in the East
In the states of Pennsylvania. New York, New
Jersey Ohio and Indiana this amounts to a re-
duction of half cent mile uniformly In the
freight business 1T would be necessary to take
particular schedules TO the number of re-
ductions, but of the 1915 freight schedules
filed with the commission on August ~, two
days before the Rate law went into effect. 90
per cent were found to be reductions"
Mr.. Lane said that reduction in passenger
rates on a great many railroads might be looked
for as the result especially of the anti-pass pro-
vision OF the Rate law. which will put stop
to a practice which drained the revenues of rail-
roads considerably. AS a result Of this and
other provisions. he said. the railroads were en-
abled to reckon on increased earnings
In the freight business the railroad men II is
declared are finding the Rate law in many wavs
d great protection to them against unfair COM
petition, and they are enabled to readjust rates
in accordance with fair principles Of business
There is a steady tendency toward reduction it
is found. because under the conditions the
traffic managers must compete for the trade
without resort to rebate methods discrimina-
tions. the shippers reaping the benefit.
The provision of the law which requires thirty
days notice in the changing of rates has resulted
in causing railroad managers to scale down their
the lowest possible estimate.
The files at the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion show that there has been a rush on the
part of the railroads to file their revised sched-
ules. On several days more than thousand
have been filed and OF these a large percentage
show lower rates than those charged before the
enactment of the Railroad Rate law