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

Tho State Corporation Commission
yesterday handed down the long-ex
pected opinions In the freight and pas
scngcr rate cascs. and issued orders
putting both into effect on July /. 1907.
In the matter Of passenger rates the
commission divides the railroads into
four classes, and. naming all these III
each group. fixes the respective maxi
mum rates at two. two and one-half,
three and three AMI one-half cents
per mile.
Two-Gcnt Fare.
Here Gre tic cIassihcations fixed.
the roads first mentioned being pu;
In the two-ccnt group. with a mini
mum fare of ten cents:
The Norfolk and Western.
The Chesapeake and Ohio.
The Atlantic Coast Line
The Seaboard Air Line.
The Southern railway.
The Richmond, Fredericksburg and Po-
tomac.
The Washing,nn-Sonthc railway.
The New York. Philadelphia and Nor
folk railway.
The Virginia and Southwestern railway.
The Louisville and Nashville railway.
Two and a Half.
The following roads are allowed a maxi
nun rate of TWO and half cents a mile,
the minimum fare to be not less than ten
cents:
Norfolk division of the Southern rail-
way. from Norfolk to Danvillc. eoi miles.
franklin branch. from Franklin juno
ton TO Rocky Mount. 81 miles.
Claremont branch. from James river
Junction to Claremont, 80 miles.
Three-Cent Maximum.
The following roads are named as Glass
B, and are allowed to charge a maxi
mum fare of three cents mile:
The Chesapeake Western.
Tho Cumberland Valley and Martins
burg.
The Danville and Western.
The Indian Creek and Pound Rive..
The Marion and Rye Valley.
The Nelson and Albcmarle
The Valley railway.
The Virgnia-Carolina railway.
The Winchester and Potomac.
The Winchester and Strasburg.
The Norfolk and Southern.
Three and a Half.
The commission prescribes ii three and
half cent fare, maximum, for the fol-
lowing roads:
The Big Sandy and Cumberland
Inc BLACK Mountain railway.
The Interstate railroad.
The Lake Creek and Lake Erie.
The Mt. Airy and Eastern.
The New River. Hoston and Western.
The Potomac. Fredericksburg and Pied
mont.
The surry, Sussex and southampton.
The Underwater and Western
The Virginia Anthracite Coal and Iron
railway.
The Virginia and Kentucky.
The Wise Terminal Company
When approached last night officers OF
several of the leading lines here declined
to make any statements until they have
received official copies of the orders iron,
the commission. but it lis not though:
the new schedule of rates will affect
the present commuters tickets, at least
not on the two roads having their head
quarters in Richmond.
Though counsel for the companies are
not talking for publication, 1t is practi-
taken up to tho courts certainly by some
Of the lines.
Session Very Brief.
Tho commission convened yesterday
and attorneys for several of the large,
roads We're present. The decisions had
been anticipated, and no one was greatly
surprised at their tone Tho proceedings
were largely formal. and the session was
brief one.
The orders in both cases We're read
the conclusions, which arc quite volum-
tnous, being omitted. Copies will be fur
nished to all the roads affected, how
ever, and their attorneys will study the
opinions carefully. AS to the decision
IN the freightyAate matter, there can be
no uniformity Of rates as applying to al
classes of freight, but the classiflcations
are ordered to be readjustcd and q uni
form rate as to the several classes put
into effect by July LIST on all lines.
The fixing of freight rates and CLASH.
Ncations is a most difficult task, and the
commission set about early in the fight
to reduce the number of classes as IA,