Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-27
WILL NOT RAISE RATES
Clash Between Roads and Ship
pers Averted.
REVERSAL OF DECISION
Appeal Had Been Made to Interstate
Commission.
CARRIERS NOTIFIED LATER
Had Been Proposed to Institute Pro-
ceedings Under the Anti
Trust Law.

Prompt action by the interstate commerce
commission has averted. at least for the
present, what might have developed into
a serious clash between the coal shippers
and the railroads Of Indiana and Illinois.
Announcement was made by the commits
sion today that Information had been re-
ceived that the railroads in the Indiana
and Illinois coal fields would not advance
| their rates on coal to Chicago points.
Judge Wood of the Indiana railroad COM
mission, John Mitchell, president of the
United Mine Workers of America, and rep
resentative coal operators of both Indiana
and Illinois, complained on the 18th in
slant to the Interstate commerce commits
sion that the carriers had given notice of
an advance of 10 cents a ton on coal from
Indiana and Illinois to points to Chicago.
| Such an advance, It was pointed out to
| the commission. would affect seriously both
operators and miners, and the question of
filing formal complaint against the rail-
roads was considered by the delegation
with the commission.
Legal Proceedings Proposed.
An intimation also was made that the
Attorney General would be requested to in
| vestigate the matter with a view to insti-
tuting proceedings against the carriers for
violation Of the antitrust law.
It was expected, when the delegation left
Washington. that formal petition Of the
eomplainants would be completed and filed
by the state railroad commission of In
diana as soon as the proposed advance in
coal rates should go into effect.
Meantime. however, the commission COM
municated with the presidents Of the rail-
roads interested, including the Chicago and
Eastern Illinois. the Evansville and Terre
Haute. the Indianapolis Southern. the
Cleveland. Cincinnati. Chicago and St.
l r nr,,c thA =
the Pittsburg. Cincinnati. Chicago and st.
Louis. the Chicago Indianapolis and Louis
vile. the Vandalia lines. the Southern In
diana and the Illinois Central.
They were informed of the complaint
| which had been received, and the commits
sion made In the words of Chairman
| Knapp. certain suggestions" to the rail-
roads.
1t was announced by the commission to-
| day that replies to the communications had
been received from the interested lines, and
| that the determination to make the pro-
posed advance in the coal rates had been
reconsidered and abandoned.
The Proposed Advance.
The proposed advance in the coal rates
| took rather an unusual form. Rates on
| coal are made from the Illinois and Indiana
| fields to Whiting and Chicago. The advance
was to have been 10 cents a ton on all coal
| shipped, irrespective of the distance or the
| existing rate. Just what was the deciding
| factor In causing the railroads to abandon
| the proposed advance has not yet been
made public There are reports that the
Chicago and Eastern Illinois Company re-
fused to adhere to the agreement. There
was also a suspicion that the railroads al
ready found public and state sentiment set
| ting so strangely again them that they
did not wish to do anything more to an
| tagonize the public and the shippers. How
ever that may be, the operators were con-
WINGED that the raise in rates was about ia
take place and 1t is known that the formal
complaint was made and put in writing. but
never formally filed with the commission.
Since the decision not to raise the rates, it
Is understood that at least one Of the roads
has decided to lower it's tariff. This is the
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and st.
Louis, generally known as the Big Four.
| If this change in the tariff of one road
should be made, it is possible that the
| other roads will have to make similar cut
to meet it.