The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-28

tho railroads In my general prosperity
which tho State Is enjoying should be
| allowed them AS the volume OF business
increases In the country. SO the volume
of business OF the railroads must neces-
sariy Increase. and they should not be
denied the means o. providing themselves
with facilities In keeping with the de-
mands which the business OF the country
makes upon them. Whore freight rates
are adjusted upon principles OF fairness.
and where they are shown to be free
from Unjust and unreasonable dlscrimirla-
ton against persons. localities and classes
of traffic. and especially where these rates
| are responsive to we'll defined and we'll
established laws OF trade. and have be-
come the bases upon which have been
built large Industries. and out OF which
have grown important trade centors and
trade relations. there seems to DO no
good and sufficient reasons for a dis
turbance OF them.
The exhaustive investigation conducted
by the commission convinces us that
many. In fact. the great bulk Of the rates
now In effect on the railroads In Virginia.
can stand the test of fairness In revenues
already made In passenger rates: such
rates will be deemed, and hereinafter re-
ferred to as standard rates for the pur-
poses OF this opinion and order, and will
be confirmed and approved as such by the
In which railroads. operating under sub
stantially similar circumstances and con-
ditions. are carrying rates WIDELY varying
from each other on the same articles OF
commerce. creating inequalities of oppor-
tunity between persons and localities en-
gagged In the same business and frequently
In sense in competition with each other:
fair and uniform level will be found
for rates OF this class.
There are also cases In which roads are
carrying short haul rates which are so
high on certain kinds or traffic in COM
parson with their own long haul rates
and the long haul rates OF other roads on
the seame kinds OF trattc. az to amount
to discrimination against certain Virginia
products and to denial to the Virginia
producers of the right to trade advantage
ousy In Virginia markets: this class II
rates will be so adjusted as to eliminate
any element OF unfalrrcss to Virginia
products.
There are other roads whose entire
scheme OF rates( either as to classfica-
ton or scale or both) Is considerably
above the general level OF standard rates
on representative Virginia lines operat-
Ing undor similar circumstances and con-
ditions these rates will be reduced TO
the level OF the standard rates.
There may be other classes OF rates
which are unfair or discriminatory from
be subject to correction. In order to
put into effect the policy OF the commits
sion in dealing with freight rates as thus
announced. it Is the opinion OF the COM
mission that uniform classification liz
absolutely essential.
The testimony shows that Virginia Is
the only State in which two classinca-
tons on intrastate business are used
extensively and sometimes interchange
ably. The. difficulties OF rate regulation
under sue hn system are manifest
Several OF the higher traffic officials of
tho railroads admitted that unflrmity OF
rates on the several lines operating under
similar circumstances and conditions
could not be established and maintained
under two separate and distinct classl-
fcatlons. and that no State had ever
attempted through any instrumentality
to prescribe freight rates under such con-
dltions. Tho evidence in tho case, and
the experience Of the commission Itself,
proves conclusively that uniform. clas-
slfcation is necessary to the intelligent
exercise of not only the rate-making
power. but to the further intelligent ex-
crcise OF that supervisory power which
alone will preserve and maintain the re-
suits originally produced by uniform
classification.
The law requiring the railroads to pub
lish and keep on file Mt it's stations full
ana complete schedules OF rates Tor nuDHc
inspection fails to a large extent in Its
Intended purpose where the rates are
governed by different classificatons. and
where. as is frequently the case. ship
ments are required to move partly under
the Southern and partly under Official
classification. THUS making 1t Impossible
In many cases for oven the local agent,
to say nothing OF the shipper to ascer-
tain from the published rate themselves
the amount charged for transportation OF
certain kinds of traffic.
Tho commission, therefore, prescrlbes
Il uniform classification applicable to the
freight traffic OF the several defendant
railroads in this case, as fully set out in
the order accompanying this opinion.
Having heretofore prescribed maxi,
mum passenger rate of two cents per
mile, and having herein prescribed uni
form classification under which the COM
mission will be enabled to deal intelli-
gently with rates from time to tme we
arc Of opinion, all things considered that
no material reductions in freight rates
should be made at this time, except such
reductions MS necessarily result from the
application of the policy of the commits.
sion as herelnbefore stated.
The commission appends to this opin-
ion q copy of the order which will be
entered In this proceeding carrying out
these views OF the commission.
In this order a method Is provided by
which tho defendant railroad companies
may put into effect the Virginia classifl-
cation No, l. apply 1t to their rates, and
give practical effect to the foregoing con-
Sclusions Of the commission.
Freipht Rate Order