The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-30
CORPORATION COMMISSION RELAXE,S
RATE RULE TO RELIEVE RALROAD
Order Issued Yes.
terday in Case Of Virginia
and Southwestern Line.

In an order issued yesterday morning
by the State Corporation Commission,
the Virginia and Southwestern Rail-
way Company is authorized to raise
It's passenger rate from Q to cents a
mile, until further notice. Being the
first instance of modification of the
2-cent rate decision promulgated by
the commission more than a year ago,
spread attention yesterday and aroused
considerable comment. mostly favor
able.
On Tuesday of last week hearing
was given to the attorneys of the road
which operates about seventy miles OF
track in Virginia, from Bristol via
Big Stone Gap to the State line. a
pleay for relief was made on the ground
that owing to existing conditions in
the business and Industrial world, the
heavy expense of operating railroad
through a mountainous. and in some
parts thinly settled section, justified
the road in asking for an increase in
its passenger fares. Previous to the
rate order of the commission, in which
this road was placed in the 2-cent
class, the Virginia and Southwestern
charged 4 cents a mile on its local
passenger business and in the hear
ing before the commission offered It's
books and papers to show that the
passenger department is not profitable
under the present schedule of passen-
ger rates.
Order of Commission,
The order entered by the commission
yesterday Is as follows:
I'm the petition of the Virginia and
southwestern Railway Company to in
crease Its passenger rntes,
''The commission having mnturcly
considered the evidence and the uryu-
ment of counsel, Is OF the opinion. and
doth hereby decide that the Virginia
and Southwestern Railway Company
should be allowed to increase It. pass
enEef rates.
at is, therefore, ordered that .o
m"cli OF the orders of this commission
heretofore entered In this ease as re-
lntes to the maximum passenger rntc.
to be observed by the Virginia and
Southwestern Railway Company be, and
~ hereby, revoked and nnnullcd md
In lieu thereof 1T Is ordered that from
ana after the 18th day of May, zoos
the petitioner, the Virginia and South
western Railway Company. may pu,
into effect and observe n maximum rate
of CD three cents per mile in the In
trastufe transportation of passenger.
lii Virginia, and on and after that dntc
II shall be unlawful for the said rail-
roma company to charge or collect II
greater sum thnn t3) three cents pcr
mile for transportation Of passenger.
over Its line in this State until III.
Iurther order of the State Corporation
COmnljssion." =
Significant ACtiOn
othclais about the Capitol generally
regarded the order as a vindication OF
the Justice and fairness of the Corpo.
ration Commission. A prominent state
.oH'cef IN discussing the matter tnfor.
lhaliy Yesterday, called attention to the
iact 'hat when the commission. more
thah year ago. promulgated its so
| called 2-cent rate order, which IRE
scribed the fares to be charged or
the various railways OF the State 70,
passenger transportation, condition:
were most prosperous. all lines wer,
| reporting record breaking business anc
the time OF the commission was lareel,
| taken up with consideration of com
plants that the roads We're unable IL
\ furnish sufficient number OF cars Il
accommodate the traffic, The commits
! sloners could not foresee an upheava
In these trade conditions, nor coul,
they know that the passenger an,
freight business Of the roads woul,
! suddenly fall away to half Its forme
1 proportions Therefore, it issued III
\ famous order, to stand until furthe
4 notice
Others Can't DO IL.
i Certain of the larger roads, con
J tinued this official. seeming to resen
N.CtY f,,,., .,.,